The Dark Chocolate Debate: Is It Actually Healthier?

The Dark Chocolate Debate, Our diet is not a static quantity. It is constantly changing and evolving. There are many foods on the European table that we consider traditional in our cuisine, but have not always been as traditional as potatoes, corn, tomatoes. Chocolate, which is considered the most exquisite culinary art in Belgium and Switzerland, has also recently been on our table. The enrichment of our cuisine with these once exotic foods took place after the 15th century, ie. after the beginning of the conquests of the conquistadors.

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A little background

General Cortes has the main credit for our acquaintance with chocolate. cocoa beans. The precious metals were used by the ancient South Americans for decoration, and their main unit of exchange was the cocoa bean. It was also used for food and medicine.

Cocoa is chocolate in its most primary form. From the seeds of the cocoa tree, the ancients prepared a bitter drink that “gives endurance and overcomes fatigue; just one glass of this precious drink allows a person to walk all day without food.

” The Aztecs are also considered to be the inventors of the prototype of the blender with which they prepared the drink in question. 1590 is the year in which farmers planted the first cultivated cocoa trees in West Africa outside of South America.

Initially, cocoa did not gain much popularity in Europe due to its bitter taste, but soon Europeans began to mix it with cane sugar to improve its taste, and little by little cocoa conquered the old continent, becoming a favorite drink of wealthier Europeans and in many places there were specialized establishments where the drink was offered.

Much later, in the 19th century, a process was patented in the Netherlands for the production of a new type of low-fat cocoa powder, which ensured cheap and therefore much more mass production.

This method involved a hydraulic press that separated the oil from the cocoa and the residue was pulverized. To this powder began to add potassium or sodium carbonate to obtain better solubility of the final product. This invention made it possible to produce cheap cocoa powder that would be available to a large part of the population.

The invention of chocolate as we know it today is due to the Swiss chemist Henry Nestle, who discovered a way to obtain milk powder. With him begins the story of the much-loved, but in fact robbed of nutritional and medicinal values milk chocolate. With our modern knowledge we already know that refined sugar reduces the nutritional and medicinal value of cocoa.

There is something in chocolate…

Here comes the good news for all chocolate lovers (I remind you – by chocolate we mean raw cocoa): it not only does not harm your figure, but is one of the best foods for you.

Cocoa is one of the best sources of magnesium, chromium, zinc, vitamin C. It is the plant with the highest iron content. The flavonoids in cocoa are almost identical to those in green tea. It also contains phenylethylamine, anandamide, tryptophan, serotonin, theobromine. Experiments have shown that cocoa is a food that has almost no effect on blood sugar.

What does this mean?

This means that chocolate (cocoa) is a great food for the cardiovascular and digestive systems, helps maintain oral health, fights iron deficiency anemia, reduces insulin resistance, helps with depression, improves mood and overall works hard to make us feel good.

Theobromine vs. caffeine

A common misconception is that cocoa contains caffeine, while the truth is that chocolate contains the alkaloid theobromine, which, although with a very similar structure, has a different effect on the human body.

Unlike caffeine, the action of theobromine is much milder, lasts longer (almost half of it is in the bloodstream up to 6-10 hours after ingestion), improves mood, stimulates the cardiovascular system and muscles, its effect on the CNS is negligible compared to that of caffeine, stimulates the kidneys (but is not a strong diuretic like coffee), does not cause addiction and cases of allergies are extremely rare.

What products to look for?

To date, a large part of cocoa production in Europe has been exported to Africa, in particular to Ghana and Ivory Coast. Like any high-yielding crop, cocoa is genetically modified and treated to produce higher yields. If you want to reduce the likelihood of coming across such a product, it is best to check the origin of what you buy and research conscientious manufacturers.
Look for cocoa that is raw.
The most primary form of chocolate, of course, are raw, fermented and dried cocoa beans, which you can eat whole or grind. Keep in mind that no matter how much you grind them, you will not get a fine powder, as the oil content is still present in the grain. Crushed cocoa beans are also a good option.
Suitable options are also raw cocoa powder and cocoa paste (cocoa mass), which is ground and liquefied cocoa before its fat is extracted. Here again, it is advisable to look for cold processed products if you want to enjoy all the benefits of chocolate.

Why do some products say cacao and others say cocoa?

Although they are translated in the same way, and should denote the same product, there are actually some differences between the two concepts. Cacao is the name of the plant from which the chocolate beans are extracted. After harvesting, these grains (which are essentially seeds) are subjected to fermentation and drying. Subsequently, they are crushed, ground, the fat is separated from them and they appear in the shops in the form of the products mentioned in the front part of the material.

Cocoa products are usually subjected to an alkalizing process (Dutching), and are supplemented with oils, sugar, milk powder or other impurities. When the cocoa packaging says that it is natural or unsweetened cocoa, it is similar to the above product, but their difference is usually in the processing temperature, which significantly reduces the health benefits of chocolate. You can distinguish this product by its specific dark brown color, as opposed to raw cocoa, which is significantly lighter.

Truths and myths about chocolate (cocoa)

Studies show that the combined consumption of raw cocoa with dairy products dramatically reduces the absorption of antioxidants in it.
“Chocolate spoils teeth” is a common myth – what spoils teeth is the refined sugar that is added to chocolate. In fact, cocoa beans protect the oral cavity from the development of tooth decay
Although many people claim to be allergic to chocolate, it rarely causes such reactions. What people are allergic to is milk or sugar, which is added to chocolate products. Studies show that only one in 500 people who consider themselves allergic gives positive tests.

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