Superfoods have been a popular topic for nutritionists over the last decade or so. Many people question what a superfood actually is. Superfoods are those that have a high nutritional content and are believed to aide in a person's well-being. According to the Telegraph, an online newspaper, a superfood is that which is high in antioxidants and phytochemicals. Both antioxidants and phytochemicals are thought to protect the body from diseases such as cancer, as well as certain types of heart problems (Alleyne 2011).
Most times, superfoods are thought to be colorful fruits and vegetables, things which many of us don't get enough of. However, studies have been done recently on the antioxidant content level found in the cocoa bean, specifically the dark chocolate bean. This has spiked a lot of interest over the recent years because chocolate is something that most people consider to be a treat, not something that is necessarily healthy for them. Chocolate is readily avalible and is a product that most people have around their house in some way, shape, or form. A study was published in the Chemistry Central Journal in February of 2011 in which the powders of the cocoa bean and powders of so-called superfruits were compared and then analyzed to see if there were any similarities. It was found that the powder of the coca bean had the same amount, if not higher, of the different analyzed powders then the superfruits (Crozier et al 2011). We must remember, though, that Therefore, it supports the idea that cocoa can be considered a superfood. It is important to note, though, that when the cocoa is heated, it loses all nutritional value.
Though cocoa beans have been identified as having a high amount of antioxidants, I believe that it is important to remember that everything must be done in moderation. Most chocolate items in which the antioxidant benefit can be found contain a higher amount of calories than the other superfoods. Because of this, you must eat less of the cocoa and therefore get less of the antioxidants in order to keep calorie balance in check.
One other thing that we must remember is that this benefit is only seen is those chocolate foods that are made from the cocoa bean. Many chocolate products are artificially made and therefore do not give any of the benefit that the cocoa bean contains. It is important to remember this if you are eating something chocolate simply due to the benefits of its antioxidant levels, you must make sure that the food was made using natural cocoa bean.
By no means is this, or any other study, suggesting that people stop eating their fruits and vegetables and eat more chocolate. As it is always said, our diets must include variation and moderation with everything we eat. Too much of anything is bad, even if it is something that is supposed to be good for you. Chocolate is a food that people often eat far too much of and not because of its health benefits. Remember next time you pick up a candy bar, although it contains antioxidants if made with real cocoa, it may also include sugars, carbohydrates, and an extreme amount of calories that may counteract the benefits of the cocoa bean.
Crozier, S., Preston, A., Hurst, J., Payne, M., Mann, J., Hainly, L., Miller, D. (2011) Cacao Seeds are a "Super Fruit": A Comparative Analysis of Various Fuit Powders and Products. Chemistry Central Journal. 5:5. Retrieved from: http://journal.chemistrycentral.com/content/5/1/5
Alleyne, R. (2011). Chocolate Is A New 'Super Food'. The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8306796/Chocolate-is-the-new-super-food.html
I found your blog entry very interesting because I have often heard of dark chocolate as being a superfood and even considered writing about it for my own post, but instead went with garlic.
ReplyDeleteTo me, dark chocolate needs more research before we can say exactly how much it helps but from the sources you cited I can see that it has potential. I however don't like dark chocolate that much and only like milk chocolate. But its nice to know that if I want to mix it up and eat dark chocolate it won't be too bad for me, if done in moderation. Good post.
Dylan
Who knew that all chocolates were not created equal? I may not be a connoisseur of chocolates or a big-time cake baker, but when I am at the grocery store near the organic aisle, the expensive chocolates always catch my thrifty eye. Next time I go to HyVee, New Pioneer Co-op, or Great Grains I am going to have a much closer look at the ways the fair trade, organic, antioxidant-rich chocolates are packaged and labeled. I think that cocoa is also a great example of an ingredient that has a lot of potential in terms of packing nutritional wallop, but it certainly requires a lot of a certain level of knowledge to prevent the loss of said benefits in the kitchen through say exposure to heat. On that note, maybe smores with dark chocolate could be good too?
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