Chocolate as medicine? It's enough to make a chocoholic's heart flutter to think that what the Aztecs called the gift of the gods might lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, make diabetes more manageable and reduce the risk of cancer.
But before you make a beeline to the closest box of bonbons, take a few moments to find out how to get the most benefit from this gift of nature without the side effects of sweets.
From aphrodisiacs to antioxidants The high priests of the Aztecs and the Mayas reserved the drink that they called xocolatl for ceremonials because of its medicinal and possibly aphrodisiac properties.
The conquistadors introduced it to Spain in the early 1500s.
Flavored with pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, almonds, sugar and even flowers, the supposed health benefits of this chocolate drink made it a favorite among the wealthy until tea and coffee replaced it in the 19th century.
Entrepreneurs of the Industrial Revolution in Europe produced solid chocolate with its sweet flavor and velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Late in the 20th century observant scientists recognized cravings and mood elevations among chocolate aficionados and began to explore the chemistry of the cocoa bean.
Their discoveries of brain-active chemicals and antioxidants have generated an avalanche of enthusiasm for chocolate.
Is it justified? Why chocolate makes you feel good Chocolate lovers know that an ounce or two of their favorite treat gives them a noticeable lift.
Objective researchers find that improved mood, heightened sensitivity, euphoria and a sense of well-being are very real effects of eating chocolate.
They also have found that the maximum benefit comes only from dark chocolate.
Chocolate contains biogenic amines, substances that energize brain connections.
These include serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, long familiar to biochemists for their ability to regulate mood.
Anandemide is similar to chemicals in marijuana that contribute to the euphoria that smokers of the weed experience.
Whether or not this contributes to a true chocolate addiction is still a matter of controversy.
Can eating chocolate help you to live longer? Long life and freedom from disease result from many different factors but chocolate does contain several nutrients that contribute to good health.
We can find all of them in plant foods but they are especially abundant in the cocoa bean that yields modern civilization's favorite treat.
Polyphenols, which number in the thousands, are the darlings of today's nutrition experts.
Chocolate in powdered form yields the highest concentration of these substances.
Among them are flavonoids that cause the blood to clot less readily, thereby reducing the threat of a heart attack or stroke.
Some flavonoids provide antioxidant activity that protects the lining of blood vessels; others improve the action of insulin.
One and one-half ounces of chocolate provide about 15 percent of our needs for magnesium, a mineral that is important to every cell in the body.
Magnesium deficiency is associated with premenstrual syndrome, high blood pressure, stroke and abnormal heart rhythm.
Magnesium contributes to bone strength and it is one of the essential nutrients in warding off osteoporosis.
High blood pressure is one of the most important factors in the development of heart disease and it affects more than 25 percent of the U.
S.
population.
Eating about 3 ½ ounces of dark chocolate each day can cause a modest lowering of blood pressure.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that amount contains about 500 calories.
If you add it to your regular diet and don't burn it off with exercise you can expect to gain 4 pounds a month.
There is no evidence that polyphenols in chocolate can prevent cancer but this is the same group of chemicals, abundant in fruits and vegetables, that is associated with a lower incidence of several types of cancer.
What about the fat? An excess of sweets does contribute to being overweight but it's the fat content of most forms of chocolate that makes the calories add up quickly.
The news isn't all bad, however.
Oleic acid, which makes up about one third of the fat in chocolate, actually lowers cholesterol slightly.
Stearic acid contributes another third but it is regarded as cholesterol neutral and does not elevate blood cholesterol.
Choosing chocolate: health versus hedonism A true chocoholic will cheerfully savor any kind of chocolate but it's only the dark variety that has significant health benefits.
Processes that take away the bitterness also remove most of the healthy factors such as flavonoids.
Milk and sugar dilute the rest.
Those ancient Aztecs had it right.
When they added pepper and spices to their ceremonial drink they pumped up the level of flavonoids.
When you brew a cup of hot chocolate from natural cocoa powder and add a little cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla you'll be doing the same thing.
Those spices will replace some of the antioxidants that are neutralized by milk.
Natural cocoa powder is the healthiest form but it's also the most bitter.
Add a little to coffee, cereal, dessert (especially puddings) and yogurt.
Start with about ¼ teaspoon until you find the amount that gives you the most enjoyment without the bothersome bitterness.
Dutch cocoa, also known as European style, is less bitter than natural cocoa powder but it loses some antioxidants in the manufacturing process.
You might find that you'll like its milder flavor for cereal and coffee more than the natural powder.
Dark chocolate is the kind that scientists work with in their studies on health benefits.
Recipes vary in the actual content of the flavonoid-containing chocolate.
Look for a chocolate liquor content of 60 to 70 percent or more.
Milk chocolate has almost none of the good stuff.
The flavonoids are almost nonexistent because the alkalinization process that removes the bitterness removes most of them and adding milk removes the rest.
Milk chocolate usually contains more sugar, less minerals and more fats.
But hey - you're not eating this stuff to get healthy anyhow, are you? White chocolate is CINO - chocolate in name only.
It's made from cocoa butter (the fatty content of the cocoa bean), milk solids and sugar.
It's about as nutritious as a glazed donut but we all need an occasional fun food now and then.
Chocolate hazards A little chocolate - about one to one-and-a-half ounces per day - has some modest health benefits and if you substitute those 150-200 calories for some other food it probably won't mess up your attempts to maintain normal weight.
A good start would be to have a little chocolate pick-me-up in place of that glazed donut or bear claw Danish.
If you have trouble sleeping even though you gave up regular coffee you might not want to eat chocolate late in the day.
The amount of caffeine in most forms of chocolate is small relative to an ordinary cup of coffee but for caffeine-sensitive individuals it's enough to make a difference.
Persons who have experienced atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that sometimes leads to stroke, should not overindulge.
That modest suggestion of an ounce or so is not a problem but eating several ounces at a sitting - it happens - can trigger that abnormal rhythm.