For anyone with a sweet tooth, it is likely that you love to come across studies that talk about the benefits of chocolate. Many of us enjoy this dairy-based product, allowing us to enjoy a sugary, satisfying treat that hits just in the right spot in terms of taste and texture. However, for many of us, we know that dark chocolate is the “good” version of chocolate; it lacks the creaminess, sure, but it is meant to be better for us. However, is that actually the case? Is there any legitimate proof to show that dark chocolate is beneficial to your health?
Studies have long suggested that our bodies get a lot of benefits out of eating and ingesting cocoa. Given that cocoa is a major ingredient in just about any dark chocolate, that makes people place two and two together. However, it is also believed that certain nutrients found within cocoa can have a beneficial impact on your heart and your brain function. This comes from the impact of flavanols, which are prevalent in cocoa and do a lot for our bodies. These are often commonly found in other products, too, including fruit like apples and berries, or even many tea products.
However, the interesting part of the link between cocoa and goodness comes from where the studies are normally based. For the most part, our knowledge of the health benefits of cocoa come from studying the Kuna people. Kuna people live off the coast from Panama and are known to be passionate about eating cocoa. So, we look to their lifestyle and their health quality to try and find out more about how good cocoa for us actually is.
What do Kuna people do with cocoa?
According to those who interact with them closely, they essentially drink lots of hot chocolate. They take the cocoa beans, grind them up, and make a hot drink with the product that is left over. They use this as an equivalent to drinking water and will drink numerous cups of this cocoa drink every single day. It is a day-to-day custom there, and many people it plays a role in their excellent longevity and healthy lives. The Kuna people area known to have minimal rates of heart disease, which led people to believe that cocoa had to be the reason. Is this conclusion, though, correct?
While studies have been ongoing for years, and we believe that cocoa flavanols play a role in helping to improve heart health, the amount of flavanols found in a typical chocolate bar, even dark chocolate, is minimal in comparison to what you get out of using the cocoa beans raw.
Cocoa supplements tend to be far more powerful when it comes to getting the good side of the cocoa that we want to eat so much. Sadly, the addition of the sugars, kinds of butter, and extra goodies to sweeten the taste means that your average chocolate bar, even dark chocolate, is likely nowhere near as good for you as you would have hoped for. Sorry, but you might want to stop pretending that chocolate bars have a place on your health kick!