The Health Benefits of Cocoa

Surprisingly, cocoa powder (which chocolate is made from) has a degree of healthiness to it... Provided you don't eat too much of it. Below are some of the potenital health benefits cocoa powder can provide to you.

(The information here is sourced directly from the website linked on the bottom of this page. Full credit goes to the original writers.)

Cocoa is rich in polyphenols

Polyphenols are naturally occurring antioxidants found in foods like fruits, vegetables, tea, chocolate and wine. They have been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced inflammation, better blood flow, lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Cocoa is one of the richest sources of polyphenols. It's especially abundant in flavanols, which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

However, processing and heating cocoa can cause it to lose its beneficial properties. It's also often treated with alkaline to reduce bitterness, which results in a 60% decrease in flavanol content. So while cocoa is a great source of polyphenols, not all products containing cocoa will provide the same benefits.

May reduce high blood pressure

This effect was first noted in the cocoa-drinking island people of Central America, who had much lower blood pressure than their non-cocoa-drinking mainland relatives.

The flavanols in cocoa are thought to improve nitric oxide levels in the blood, which can enhance the function of your blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. One review analyzed 35 clinical trials that provided participants with 0.05-3.7 ounces (1.4-105 grams) of cocoa products, or roughly 30-1,218 mg of flavanols. It found that cocoa produced a small but significant reduction of 2 mmHg in blood pressure.

Additionally, the effect was greater in people who already had high blood pressure than those without it and slightly greater in younger people compared to older people. However, it's important to remember that processing significantly reduces the number of flavanols, so the effects most likely will not be seen from the average chocolate bar.

May lower risk of heart attack and stroke

In addition to lowering blood pressure, it appears that cocoa has other properties that may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Flavanol-rich cocoa improves the level of nitric oxide in your blood, which relaxes and dilates your arteries and blood vessels and improves blood flow.

What's more, cocoa has been found to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol, have a blood thinning effect similar to aspirin, decrease insulin resistance, and reduce inflammation. These properties have been linked to a lower risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

A review of nine studies in 157,809 people found that higher chocolate consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of heart disease, stroke and death. Two Swedish studies found that chocolate intake is linked to a lower rate of heart failure at doses of up to one serving of 0.7-1.1 ounces (19-30 grams) of chocolate per day, but the effect was not seen when consuming higher amounts. These results suggest that frequent consumption of small amounts of cocoa-rich chocolate may have protective benefits for your heart.

Polyphenols improve blood flow to your brain and brain function

Several studies have found that polyphenols, such as those in cocoa, may reduce your risk of neurodegenerative diseases by improving brain function and blood flow. Flavanols can cross the blood-brain barrier and are involved in the biochemical pathways that produce neurons and important molecules for the function of your brain. Additionally, flavanols influence the production of nitric oxide, which relaxes the muscles of your blood vessels, improving blood flow and blood supply to your brain.

An older two-week study in 34 older adults given high-flavanol cocoa found blood flow to the brain increased by 8% after one week and 10% after two weeks. Further studies suggest that daily intake of cocoa flavanols can improve mental performance in people with and without mental impairments. These studies indicate a positive role of cocoa on brain health and possible positive effects on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. However, more research is needed.

Flavanols may improve symptoms of type 2 diabetes

Though overconsumption of chocolate is certainly not good for blood sugar control, cocoa does, in fact, have some anti-diabetic effects.

Test-tube studies indicate that cocoa flavanols can slow down carbohydrate digestion and absorption in the gut, improve insulin secretion, reduce inflammation and stimulate the uptake of sugar out of the blood into the muscle. Some studies have shown that a higher intake of flavanols, including those from cocoa, can result in a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, a review of human studies showed that eating flavanol-rich dark chocolate or cocoa can may improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control and reduce inflammation in diabetic and nondiabetic people.

Despite these promising results, there are inconsistencies in the research with some studies finding only a limited effect, slightly worse control of diabetes or no effect at all. Nevertheless, these results combined with the more concrete positive effects on heart health indicate cocoa polyphenols may have a positive impact on both preventing and managing diabetes, though more research is required.

Theobromine and theophylline contents may help people with asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes obstruction and inflammation of the airways and can be life-threatening. It's thought that cocoa may be beneficial for people with asthma, as it contains anti-asthmatic compounds, such as theobromine and theophylline.

Theobromine is similar to caffeine and may help with persistent coughing. Cocoa powder contains about 1.9 grams of this compound per 100 grams or 3.75 ounces. Theophylline helps your lungs dilate, your airways relax and decreases inflammation. Animal studies have shown that cocoa extract can reduce both the constriction of the airways and tissue thickness.

However, these findings have not yet been clinically tested in humans, and it's unclear if cocoa is safe to use with other anti-asthmatic drugs. Therefore, even though this is an interesting area of development, it's too early to say how cocoa may be used in treating asthma.