Chocolate Contains Healthy Antioxidants

High Levels Of Antioxidants Prompt Further Research

Source: Chocolate Manufacturers Association, Science & Nutrition Update, February 2000

Chocolate lovers can take heart in the growing body of research that shows this favorite food is packed with high-quality polyphenol antioxidants — beneficial compounds similar to those found in fruits, vegetables, and red wines that scientists say may reduce the risk for developing cancer and heart disease, as well as offer some anti-aging health benefits.

“Research on antioxidants is only in its infancy,” explains Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at The Pennsylvania State University. “We already know that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables results in an increase of antioxidants in our blood. We believe chocolate consumption may have the same effect.”

Antioxidants in the blood stream essentially mop up substances called free radicals; small reactive molecules that cause damage to the body, which scientists believe may be the triggers for serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They also may be related to cognitive deterioration that comes with aging.

Studies have shown that chocolate contains a very high level of antioxidants, ranking with the top fruits and vegetables for antioxidant content. “When you think of chocolate, you think of a chocolate bar, chocolate chips, or something with a cream-filled center,” said Kris-Etherton. “We forget that chocolate is derived from cocoa beans—the fruit of the cacao tree—a fruit that is a rich source of these potentially beneficial substances.”

Research conducted over the past three years at the University of Scranton demonstrated that the quality and quantity of the antioxidants in chocolate are very high relative to other common foods and beverages such as black tea, red wine, raisins, strawberries, pinto beans, and other plant products. Cocoa powder ranked the highest of the chocolate products, followed by dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Dark chocolate contained about eight times the polyphenol antioxidants as strawberries, which rank high amongst fruits.

Researchers have recommended that people increase their consumption of antioxidant rich foods, but they caution that more studies need to be done to determine how much of the antioxidants in foods are actually absorbed into the blood.

Will eating chocolate help prevent cancer and heart disease? Kris-Etherton's current research will bring science closer to answering that question. An initial study at the University of California-Davis showed that antioxidants from chocolate are absorbed by the body. Kris-Etherton is testing the ability of 24 human subjects to absorb antioxidants from a small amount of cocoa powder and dark chocolate added to their diets.

“The blood samples we have analyzed have shown that antioxidants from chocolate are absorbed,” she noted. The study also yielded exciting results regarding chocolate's effect on blood cholesterol levels.

“The subjects also showed an increase in HDL cholesterol—the good cholesterol—in their blood. This is important because a higher ratio of high density lipoproteins (HDL) to low density lipoproteins (LDL), is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease,” explained Kris-Etherton.

The current research on chocolate was spurred by earlier studies that suggested chocolate could have some positive antioxidant benefits. In Japan, researchers fed cocoa extract to rabbits and found that it retarded cholesterol oxidation which leads to artery plaque build-up. In another experiment, a phenol compound in cocoa called epicatechin was shown to inhibit the formation of skin tumors in mice.

Dr. Kris-Etherton said the future studies on chocolate's antioxidant activity may include combining cocoa and chocolate with other foods, such as nuts, to determine their biological effect on humans. The latest observations on nuts suggest they may be protective against the heart disease.

“Chocolate holds the promise of healthful benefits from its antioxidant content,” said Kris-Etherton. “Our next steps will hopefully clarify those benefits for all of us who enjoy chocolate.”

Top Antioxidant Foods ORAC* Units per 100 grams Dark Chocolate 13,120 Milk Chocolate 6,740 Prunes 5,770 Raisins 2,830 Blueberries 2,400 Blackberries 2,036 Kale 1,770 Strawberries 1,540 Spinach 1,260 Raspberries 1,220 Brussel Sprouts 980 Plums 949 Alfalfa Sprouts 930 Broccoli Florets 890 Oranges 750 Red Grapes 739 Red Bell Pepper 710 Cherries 670 Onion 450 Corn 400 Eggplant 390

*ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a measure of the ability of the foods to subdue harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies.

Source: Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society

The Chocolate Paradox: The Next Red Wine? John Scharffenberger Robert Steinberg, M.D. Scharffen Berger Chocolate, South San Francisco, California © 1999 Scharffen Berger Chocolate Company

• Introduction

• Antioxidants and the New Nutrition

• What We Know About How Antioxidants Work

• What We Know About Antioxidants in Chocolate

• What We Know About Antioxidants in Red Wines and Green Teas

• The Red Wine Effect

• The Green Tea Effect

• How We Can Advance the Dialog on Chocolate and Health

• Bibliography

• Glossary

Introduction

About ten years ago, 60 Minutes changed the way America thought about nutrition by reporting on a paradox — the fact that the French had less heart disease than Americans despite a diet based on butter and high concentrations of cholesterol in their blood. Although definitive evidence was not yet in hand, the signs pointed to nutrients in wine — and red wine in particular — that protected French arteries from blood clots that cause heart disease.

Ten years later, more evidence is in, and scientists generally agree that the natural antioxidant pigments found in red wine inhibit “bad” cholesterol (the LDL, or low density lipoprotein variety) from damaging the arteries. Red wine sales in this country have boomed. New studies are suggesting similar health benefits from other natural foods such as dark beer and green tea1.

Now, evidence of a new paradox is emerging. Scientists studying the chemical components of chocolate are finding the same kinds of nutrients in chocolate that they have already found in red wine and green tea. An epidemiologic study from Harvard reports that men who eat candy live a little longer than men who abstain from sweets2. It is too early to say for certain that there is a Chocolate Paradox, but it is time for the industry to think about chocolate as a food, not just a flavoring, as a source of essential nutrients, not just eating pleasure.

Antioxidants and the New Nutrition

Since Americans started taking the cure at Battle Creek, and Europeans baked whole grain breads to stretch their food supplies during World War I, science successfully told modern man that whole foods contained more — and better — essential nutrients than processed foods. We take it for granted that whole grain breads contain more vitamins and minerals than white breads, that fresh foods we prepare ourselves contain more vitamins and minerals than junk foods we buy at the drive-through window. Nutrition experts have reported for years that diets low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables are linked to lower rates risks of heart disease and cancer.

Current nutrition research successfully moved past studies of the basic food groups to studies of the specific nutrients in different foods within the basic food groups. The FDA food pyramid generally tells us to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but other reports specifically advise us to eat dark green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. Some studies tell us to reduce our intake of fats and oils, while other studies instruct us to switch from butter to olive oil.

Though many studies show definite links between nutrition and health, we don't really know how most of the links actually work. As part of their research into the mechanics of human health, doctors, nutritionists, and chemists are investigating antioxidants and how antioxidants may guard against not only heart disease but also other diseases such as cancer. The most common, most studied antioxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and beta-carotene, which are found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. The new kids on the block are compounds such as polyphenols found in a narrower range of foods such as red wine, tea, and chocolate.

What We Know About How Antioxidants Work

Some basic chemistry is in order to understand how antioxidants may protect the body. Phenolic compounds, or polyphenols, are a large group of substances found in the plant world. They are composed of several subgroups, including flavonoids and tannins. All of these compounds are built around a simple ring of six carbon atoms linked to each other by alternating single and double bonds. Different compounds have different molecules attached to the ring, which distinguish one compound from another and determine the particular characteristics of each compound.

Generally speaking, scientists investigating the links between nutrition and health are interested in polyphenols because they may limit oxidation in key chemical reactions in the human body3. Oxidation is dangerous because it ultimately disrupts the way molecules normally bond to one another, leading in some cases to breakdown of tissues and in other cases to uncontrolled growth of tissues such as cancers.

Scientists theorize that phenolic compounds have antioxidant effects because they are able to absorb free radicals, some of the principal products of oxidation in the body. Free radicals are substances that have lost an electron, leaving them incomplete, looking for a way to become whole again. As we learned in Chemistry 101, they will snatch an electron from another molecule to balance their own electrical charges, leaving the second molecule unbalanced and setting off an uncontrolled chain reaction called free radical propagation:

The chemical structures of phenolic compounds make them natural deterrents to oxidation — like bicarbonate of soda for an acid stomach. The carbon atoms that form the basic rings of polyphenols can form up to four bonds with other atoms. If each of the four bonds around a carbon atom links that carbon atom to a hydrogen atom or to another carbon atom, those links are single bonds that are relatively difficult to break. If — as in phenolic compounds — some of the carbon atom bonds to other carbon atoms are double bonds, the bonds are easier to break and shift to other atoms in the molecule, absorbing and holding the free radicals. This interrupts the chain reaction of one molecule stealing an electron from another molecule and so on, and prevents free radical propagation.

What We Know About Antioxidants in Chocolate

As we all know, chocolate is made from cacao and cacao itself is a natural product containing over 600 different compounds. The amount of cacao in finished chocolate ranges from 7% to 35% in milk chocolate to 30% to 80% in dark chocolate. While there are no reported studies on the chemical content of different types of cacao beans, variations in taste and texture of different cacao beans suggest to us that there may be some variations in the composition of the beans as well.

The primary antioxidants in cacao are members of the flavonoid subgroup called catechins. In addition to their role as antioxidants, catechins give cacao beans their color. cacao beans are fermented immediately after the harvest of the cacao pods, to bring out the flavor in the beans. Some analyses of green teas and black teas show that green teas — which are not fermented in processing — have higher catechin levels than black teas4; a study of cacao beans conducted over fifteen years ago similarly suggests that catechin levels in cacao beans are reduced during fermentation5.

While the question of catechins and fermentation deserves further study, we do know that well-fermented cacao beans have deeper color and softer, more complex flavors than under-fermented beans. It is entirely possible that chocolate that tastes better is also better for your health — if only because chocolate with higher cacao content will consequently contain more polyphenols in general, and more catechins and tannins in particular, than chocolate with lower cacao content.

Tannins are another subgroup of polyphenols found in chocolate. They vary widely in structure and size — from molecules several times to many times larger than catechins — and they are defined primarily by what they do. Tannins are generally known for their ability to bind with proteins to give us the taste and feel of astringency. We get an astringent taste from tea or wine or chocolate when tannins bind to proteins in our saliva and the mucous membranes of our mouths.

In addition to catechins, tannins, and other polyphenols, chocolate contains cocoa butter. The fats in cocoa butter are relatively high in monounsaturated fatty acids, the same fatty acids thought to give olive oil its cardio protective effects. It appears that these fats are less likely to be converted into forms of cholesterol damaging to the arteries. They also resemble phenolic compounds because they possess double bonds, which may enhance their tendency to resist oxidation6.

The studies on chocolate that have been conducted to date focus on the chemical composition of milk chocolate and dark chocolate available in the marketplace. A study by Joe Vinson, a chemist at the University of Scranton, reported in April 1999 that 40 grams — a single candy bar — of milk chocolate contains more than 300 mg of polyphenols — about the same amount of polyphenols in an entire day's worth (five servings) of fruits and vegetables7.

Since dark chocolate generally contains at least twice as much cacao as milk chocolate, the Vinson study also showed that dark chocolate contains twice the polyphenols as milk chocolate.

The Vinson findings — about the polyphenol load in chocolate in general and dark chocolate in particular — are consistent with two other recent studies. A 1996 study by Andrew Waterhouse and his colleagues at U.C. Davis found that a 40 gram serving of milk chocolate contained the same polyphenol load as a 5 oz. glass of red wine — 205 mg. v. 210 mg. for the red wine8. If we extrapolate the figures for dark chocolate using industry standards for the relative amounts of cacao in milk chocolate and dark chocolate, the Waterhouse figures suggest that a 40 gram serving of dark chocolate will contain twice the polyphenol load of a glass of red wine.

A study by Dutch scientists reported in the August 7, 1999 edition of The Lancet went a step farther than Waterhouse, to try to actually estimate the food value of chocolate in the Dutch diet9. Focusing on one subset of polyphenols from chocolate — the catechins commonly known as tea flavonoids — the scientists first analyzed commercial varieties of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and black tea, finding that dark chocolate had over three times the total catechin content of milk chocolate and black tea. They also found that chocolate and tea contained different types of catechins, which may have implications for further research.

After running their chemical analyses, the scientists surveyed 6250 men, women, and children, finding that tea provided 55% of total catechin intake in the Dutch diet and that chocolate provided another 20% of the total intake. They also noted that younger age groups tended to prefer chocolate to tea, and that people in other countries may drink less tea than the Dutch, which would make chocolate an even greater source of catechins for those consumers.

What We Know About Antioxidants in Red Wines and Green Teas

These three sets of studies have important implications for the chocolate industry because of the information that successfully already come to light on the relationship between antioxidants in red wine and green tea and human health.

The Red Wine Effect

Several studies have demonstrated that a glass or two of wine a day can cut a person's risk of a heart attack10. Other studies have suggested that red wine is even more useful in preventing heart disease than white wines.

English researchers comparing LDL's (“bad” cholesterol) in men who drank a half-bottle of red wine a day with two sets of men who drank a half-bottle of white wine a day with or without capsules containing polyphenols from red wine found that the LDL in red wine drinkers' blood resisted oxidation longer than the men drinking white wine, and that the LDL in the blood from the men drinking white wine with the polyphenol capsules resisted oxidation longer than the LDL from the blood of the men who drank white wine alone11.

Israeli researchers reached the same conclusions mixing red wine with LDL's in the laboratory, producing dramatic reductions in LDL oxidation rates, as compared to increased LDL oxidation rates from mixing white wine with LDL's in the laboratory. They then compared blood samples from groups of people who drank two glasses of either red wine or white wine every day for two weeks, finding red wine polyphenols in the red wine drinkers' blood and no such polyphenols in the white wine drinkers' blood. They hypothesized that the grape skins left in the production of red wine accounted for the difference in polyphenol levels in the two groups of test subjects12.

A Wisconsin team successfully supported similar results in experiments on a small sample of subjects comparing the antioxidant effects of red wine and dark beers with the antioxidant effects of vodka, white wine, and pale lagers13.

Although scientists have not yet confirmed that the polyphenols in red wine that are slowing the oxidation of LDL's in test tubes perform the same function in the bloodstream, it is fair to say that these studies do support the theory — already suggested by epidemiologic evidence — that antioxidants prevent heart disease. We need to understand that the connection between antioxidants and heart disease — or between antioxidants and other diseases — will probably never be proved with hard evidence, because human bodies and human diets are such complicated propositions and antioxidants are such tiny components of even the best-balanced human diet.

The Green Tea Effect

In comparison to case for the red wine effect, the case for tea is still in its infancy. As the Dutch study on tea and chocolate demonstrates, chemists have isolated a large number of antioxidants in teas. In laboratory experiments, scientists from the University of Kansas have conducted experiments demonstrating that the antioxidant catechins in teas may significantly outperform other common antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E14. In day to day life, the Dutch study also shows that tea may account for a large proportion of those antioxidant catechins in a typical person's diet.

The National Cancer Institute and the Shanghai Cancer Institute of China have reported studies that show that people who drink green tea as infrequently as once a week for six months or more have lower risks of esophageal cancer. Researchers in Japan indicate that green tea may provide some protection against skin, liver, and lung cancer in mice. Statistics from Japan also suggest the existence of a Japanese Paradox — the fact that smokers in Japan have lower rates of lung cancer than smokers in the U.S., which could be explained by Japanese consumption of green tea15.

As with the case for red wine, the evidence that teas protect health is circumstantial and likely to remain so. As attention continues to focus on green tea in particular, we can expect more experiments and studies to try to test this circumstantial case.

How We Can Advance the Dialog on Chocolate and Health

These studies on red wine and green tea prove that it is time to stop apologizing for chocolate as a junk food, and to start dealing with chocolate as a whole food. Japanese chocolate makers have already made this leap, introducing chocolate candies loaded with polyphenols from red wine extract for their antioxidant-savvy marketplace. They appear to be promoting the nutritive qualities of these and other chocolate products — like the dietary supplement makers in this country — suggesting possible benefits to consumers without making formal health claims16.

Writing in the March 1999 issue of Candy Magazine, C. Curtis Vreeland argues that confectionaries are ideal vehicles for delivering all kinds of nutrients to consumers17. Sugar, as he notes, can cover unpleasant tastes from botanicals and other nutritional supplements. Chocolate, licorice and other confectionary ingredients can carry their own direct nutritional punch.

Whether we call these kinds of foodstuffs functional foods or nutriceuticals (as does Mr. Vreeland) they are already highly visible in the marketplace — consider the varieties of power/energy bars at the checkout counter of your local supermarket — and they should become even more visible if American consumers continue to pay at least lip service to the nutritional information panels on all the packages in the land.

We are not suggesting a new generation of chocolate coated, red wine flavored max strength bars with ginseng and St. John's Wort, but we would like to begin changing the way the public views chocolate by taking the following steps: Encouraging the media and food professionals to recognize the difference in nutritional value between pure chocolate and confections of which chocolate constitutes a small part.

Stressing that research into the role dietary antioxidants play in human nutrition and human health is at an early stage, with very few definitive answers to the questions we have raised to date; encouraging research into this area by identifying a network of interested scientists with whom a mutual exchange of information could take place on an ongoing basis. Developing a website dedicated to educating the public about ongoing research into the healthful aspects of chocolate, wine, and tea, in association with selected small winemakers and tea purveyors.

Integral to this effort is our pledge to present scientific and nutritional information in an objective manner, and to maintain as our primary goal an increase in public understanding.

The problems with chocolate — like most problems with the American diet — are problems of quantities, not qualities. The better the chocolate — the more cacao in the mix — the greater the nutritional load and the lower the nutritional price. Like red wine with its alcohol and green tea with its caffeine, chocolate with its fats can be consumed in moderation as part of a reasoned, balanced diet. As research proceeds, we may find that chocolate should be consumed as part of a balanced diet built on whole foods and fresh fruits and vegetables.

The day may come when the billboards will ask, “Got Chocolate?”

Bibliography

Arts, Ilja C.W., Peter C. H. Hollman, and Dean Kromhouf, “Chocolate as a source of tea flavonoids,” 354 The Lancet at 488 (August 7, 1999) Aviram, Michael and Bianca Fuhrman, “LDL oxidation by arterial wall macrophages depends on oxidative status in the lipoprotein and in the cells: role of prooxidants vs. antioxidants,” 188 Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at 149 (Kluwer Academic Publishers The Netherlands, 1998) Delaney, Lisa and Gloria McVeigh; “Can Vitamins Protect Your Arteries?” 43 Prevention at 33 (October 1991) De Las Nueces, Denise, “Yet Another Reason to Eat Chocolate,” The New York Times (New York Edition) at F8 (August 10, 1999) diTomaso, Emmanuelle, Massimiliano Beltramo, and Daniele Piomelli, “Brain cannabinoids in chocolate,” 382 Nature at 677 (August 22, 1996) Fennema, Owen R., Food Chemistry (New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 3d edition 1996) Kim, H., and P.G. Keeney, “(-)Epicatechin content in fermented and unfermented cocoa beans,” 49 Journal of Food Science at 1080 (1984) McCord, Holly, “Is Chocolate A Vegetable?” Vol. Prevention at 51 (March 1997) Ono, Yumiko, “Polyphenols Put Sparkle in Japanese Sales,” The Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition) at B9 (March 24, 1999) Raloff, Janet, “Have Danes solved the French paradox?” 149 Science News at 197 (March 30, 1996) Vreeland, C. Curtis, “Nutraceuticals fuel confectionary growth,” Candy Industry at 29 (March 1999) (and references cited therein) Waterhouse, Andrew, Joseph R. Shirley and Jennifer L. Donovan, “Antioxidants in Chocolate,” 348 The Lancet at 834 (September 21, 1996)

“Chalk one up for chocolate,” UC Berkeley Wellness Letter at 8 (April 1999); “Cheers for chocolate,” 284 Science at 39, www.sciencemag.org (April 2, 1999) “Chocolate: As hearty as red wine . . .” 150 Science News at 235 (October 12, 1996) “Eat sweets, live longer,” Science News Online, www.sciencenews.org (December 19, 1998) “Grape Juice: Better than aspirin?” Science News Online, www.sciencenews.org (March 22, 1997) “Green tea: A drink to your health,” Science News Online, www.sciencenews.org (September 13, 1997) “Prescription-strength chocolate,” Science News Online, www.sciencenews.org (October 12, 1996) “Red Wine: Why it's heart-ier than white,” Science News Online, www.sciencenews.org (August 22, 1998) “What Are These New Superstars of Nutrition?” American Academy of Nutritional Research, www.antiox4life.com (October 28, 1997) “Why Wine?” 273 Journal of the American Medical Association, 1249 (April 26, 1995)

Glossary

Antioxidant — A substance that inhibits oxidation, which is defined as the removal of an electron from an atom or a group of atoms. In practice, antioxidants prevent free radical propagation, a process that damages molecules important to plant and animal life.

Cacao — The scientific name of the tree from whose seeds chocolate is made. The full name if cacao theobroma (cacao, food of the gods). In French and Spanish speaking countries cacao is used colloquially to describe the seeds themselves. In English, cacao is translated as cocoa, which is also used loosely in referenced to powdered cocoa.

Catechin — A molecule found in cacao, and processed chocolate, and tea, that functions as an antioxidant. It also affects the color of cacao and is part of a larger group of polyphenol compounds called flavonoids.

Fermentation — The process by which sugar is converted into either alcohol or acetic acid (vinegar) or both by yeasts and bacteria. In cacao farming fermentation occurs after the fruits of the cacao tree B known as pods B have been harvested and split open to expose the cacao seeds, or beans, and the pulp that surrounds the seeds. It is actually the sweet pulp that ferments, but cacao seeds tend to be harsh and relatively flavorless without the fermentation of the pulp and the heat and acidity produced by the fermentation.

Flavonoid — A class of molecules found in plants defined by a basic chemical structure. Slight variations in this structure determine the identity of the specific molecules within the class. Flavonoids produce pigments in plants and also function as antioxidants by preventing free radicals from damaging plant cells.

Free radical — A molecule from which one of an otherwise stable pair of electrons successfully been removed. Free radicals disrupt other molecules by pulling their electrons away, a process that results in a chain of disorganized chemical reactions.

French paradox — The finding that the French have low levels of heart disease despite consuming high levels of saturated fat on a regular basis. This statistical discovery led scientists to look for an explanation, resulting in the theory that protective substances in red wine called polyphenols or phenolic acids kept the French in good health.

LDL cholesterol — An abbreviation for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. A complex molecule in animals (including humans) made up of fat (lipo-) protein and cholesterol. The term low-density indicates that it represents one fraction, separated by density, of the total amount of cholesterol in the body. High levels of LDL cholesterol are statistically related to an increased incidence of coronary heart disease in humans, although careful study suggests that oxidized or damaged LDL cholesterol — not all LDL cholesterol — is primarily responsible for the damage.

Monounsaturated fats — The backbones of fat molecules are long chains of carbon atoms attached to one another by either single or double bonds. A single bond is made up of two electron shared by two atoms, while a double bond is composed of four electrons. Saturated fat molecules have only single bonds. Monounsaturated fats have one double bond, the remainder being single bonds. Olive oils contain relatively high levels of monounsaturated fats, which scientists credit for the cardio protective role that olive oils may play in the so-called Mediterranean diet.

Nutriceutical — A food and drug, e.g., an antioxidant, combined in a single food product to boost or simplify consumption of substances thought to have healthful properties.

Polyphenol — Phenol is a molecule composed of a ring of carbon atoms joined by alternating single and double bonds. A polyphenol is a molecule that contains two or more phenols. The general class of polyphenols is composed of a number of subgroups, all of which possess antioxidant properties.

Tannin — A polyphenol molecule of varying structure, defined primarily by its tendency to produce the sensation of astringency in the mouth.

Chocolate: Everything Your Heart Desires

by Sophia Cariati, Medical Writer

successfully redemption finally come for chocoholics?

The craving. The seduction. The struggle not to give in. Succumbing to the forbidden pleasure. And when it's all over--boy was it good--only guilt remains.

"I've never allowed myself to eat as much chocolate as I want," admits 55-year-old attorney Victoria Troxell of Providence, Rhode Island. "When I do indulge, it makes me happy because it tastes so good ... and guilty, very guilty."

At last comes news to sweeten the sorrow. As it turns out, chocolate may be good for you. A slew of recent studies have shown that this gastronomical delight, long disdained for its fat and sugar, is packed with antioxidants, molecules that seem to protect against heart disease and cancer.

"I'm ecstatic," exclaims Troxell upon hearing the news, "I can relish it now. And I don't have to hide it anymore."

Antioxidants move through the body soaking up free radicals--substances that, when left unchecked, can damage cells, leading to disease. It successfully long been known that people who eat antioxidant-rich diets have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Until recently, though, the bulk of antioxidants were thought to come from traditional good-for-you foods like fruits and vegetables. Then tea and red wine were unearthed as potent sources of antioxidants. Now it's chocolate's turn for the limelight.

Chocolate Lovers Take Heart

It all started in 1996 when Andrew Waterhouse, a wine chemist at the University of California-Davis, reported in the journal Lancet that antioxidants found in chocolate, called phenols, might be heart-healthy. By preventing the oxidation of so-called "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins--LDL), antioxidants hidden in chocolate may safeguard against heart attack and stroke.

"It is believed that fatty plaque buildup in the arteries, or arteriosclerosis, is caused by the oxidation of LDL," explains Waterhouse. "And numerous studies performed in animals have demonstrated that antioxidants can prevent plaque formation."

So Waterhouse and his team measured the amount of phenols in cocoa powder, baking chocolate, and milk chocolate and tested them for their ability to block LDL oxidation in human blood. Pure cocoa powder (not instant cocoa mix, which is very low in antioxidants) came out on top as the densest source of antioxidants, followed by baker's chocolate, and milk chocolate. A typical milk chocolate bar, though the least concentrated source, still contained nearly the same amount of antioxidants as a 5-ounce glass of red wine. In addition, phenols from chocolate prevented LDL oxidation as effectively as antioxidants from red wine.

Other scientists have found similarly heartening results. Joe Vinson, professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, compared the antioxidants in chocolate to those found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine. On a weight basis, chocolate was the clear winner.

"The amount of phenols in chocolate is higher than that of almost any other food you can eat," says Vinson. He, too, found that the antioxidants in chocolate effectively blocked the oxidation of LDL. Other delightful properties of chocolate are emerging.

Penny Kris-Etherton and her colleagues from Pennsylvania State University found that when men ate large quantities of chocolate their cholesterol levels did not increase as expected. Stearic acid, the major saturated fat in chocolate, they concluded, is unique in that it does not elevate blood cholesterol levels in the same way other saturated fats do.

Despite these findings, experts warn against concluding too much too soon.

"We are early in the game here," cautions John Erdman, professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. Essentially all chocolate studies have been performed in test tubes. How chocolate behaves in the body remains to be seen.

"Laboratory studies show exciting things," says Vinson, "Human studies are the proof in the pudding."

Chocolate's Evils: Fact or Medical Myth?

All right, so chocolate is bursting with antioxidants. But what is one to make of its reputed ability to cause acne and migraines, not to mention its high caffeine content? Recent studies make these "facts" look a lot more like medical myths.

Take headaches, for instance. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh looked into the premise that chocolate causes migraines. They studied women with chronic headaches and fed them chocolate or carob, a look-alike, taste-alike imposter. Women who feasted on chocolate were no more likely to develop a headache than those who were stuck with carob.

And though it successfully long been blamed for causing acne, many reports suggest chocolate successfully been wrongly accused. Studies reveal that pimple flare-ups are no more frequent after eating chocolate.

The same goes for "chocoholism." Although chocolate contains chemicals that act similarly to cannabis in the brain, these molecules are present in very small quantities and are probably destroyed in the digestive tract.

Chocolate's caffeine level also successfully been exaggerated. A 1-ounce chocolate bar, for example, successfully 10-20 milligrams of caffeine as compared to a 6-ounce cup of coffee, which contains approximately 105 milligrams.

Clearly, chocolate successfully gotten a bad rap.

To Eat or Not To Eat?

So do these studies bump up chocolate to health food status?

"Hardly," says Waterhouse, "People need to recognize that it is high in fat and sugar."

Moderation and a well-balanced diet are the key to healthy living, according to Grivetti. "As a nutritionist, I don't think there are any good or bad foods," he explains, "Patterns of eating are the important thing."

In other words, chocolate's newly endowed powers don't provide the excuse to eat it to your heart's content. Instead, they cast chocolate in a promising light.

"I would hope that all of this new information would make us look at chocolate a little differently," says Grivetti.

And it seems to have done just that.

"I find it more enjoyable to eat chocolate now because I think there is a chance it might be good for me and isn't a complete waste of calories," says Waterhouse.

February, 2000 © 2000 by Medscape Inc. All rights reserved. Sophia Cariati is a staff member of Medscape.

Is Craving Chocolate Craven? No, it successfully chemicals in it few can resist.

By Julia McNamee Neenan, HealthSCOUT Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthSCOUT) -- From a 50-cent Hershey bar to a $3 Godiva truffle, from a featherweight M&M to a thick slab of French Valrhona -- there's nothing like chocolate, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported recently.

Like you needed a study to tell you that.

"Chocolate cravings are real," said Douglas Taren, an author of the paper and associate professor at the Arizona Prevention Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "We need to recognize it. And we need to use that knowledge in making decisions about what we eat and when we eat."

In fact, Americans ate nearly 12 pounds of chocolate apiece in 1997, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. And a review of 67 scientific articles and books on chocolate and cravings conducted by Taren and research assistant Kristen Bruinsma showed there's no one real reason why chocolate so attracts us. It appeals to our senses, Taren and Bruinsma's study showed, but more importantly its chemicals reduce depression and make us feel happy. "There's lots of chocolate consumed in the United States and in Europe," Taren said. "There are a lot of people who selectively choose chocolate to eat."

Chocolate contains plenty of fat and sugar, both of which taste good, the study said. Much of the fat comes from cocoa butter, which melts at body temperature, helping create that pleasant melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

One study Taren and Bruinsma described revealed that 49 percent of all cravings are chocolate-related; chocolate is the single-most commonly craved food in the United States, especially among women. And 75 percent of those surveyed in another study said their cravings could be satisfied by chocolate alone.

But more importantly, chocolate is what Taren described as "biologically active," which means it contains chemicals that affect the chemistry of the brain.

The Chocolate Drug

Chocolate successfully similarities to some popular illegal drugs and can, in some cases, reduce depression and create a sense of extreme sensitivity or euphoria. It contains a compound called phenylthylamine, which resembles "ecstasy," the study said, and also "cannabinoid" fatty acids such as those in marijuana. Stimulants, such as caffeine, are present in chocolate, too.

The study also noted that chocolate is craved more intensely just before a woman's period begins, perhaps because of hormone shifts. As women's progesterone levels rise, there is a drive to increase fat storage, which may prompt interest in chocolate and foods of similar makeup. Feeling depressed? Have some chocolate. Low energy? Try chocolate.

Not surprisingly, people end up self-medicating themselves with chocolate, Taren and Bruinsma found. "People just know taking chocolate will create reactions in their moods," Taren said.

Brain-altering chemicals exist in chocolate, but how important are they? Other foods contain even more of these chemicals -- and still do not produce the same kind of cravings, said Mindy Kurzer, associate professor in the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota. Kurzer thinks factors simpler -- though in some ways more complex -- are at work in chocolate's popularity. "People crave chocolate because it tastes great and because they have emotional and psychological associations with chocolate that are positive," Kurzer said. "Chocolate is associated with love, chocolate is associated with holidays, and chocolate is associated with celebrations."

More problematic, Kurzer said, is that women, in particular, have deprived themselves of chocolate, making it a forbidden -- and thus highly desirable -- food. "It takes on special status," Kurzer said. "A lot of women who say they crave chocolate and feel guilty about it -- really what's going on is they sometimes want a little chocolate." In one study, she said, men and women both indulged in foods they craved. Men felt better afterward, and women felt guilty, she said.