The other day a friend of mine passed me the February issue of Healthy Nutrition Newsletter and asked for my opinion. The quality of paper, printing and presentation were impressive, let alone the content. I also commend our Arab doctors who are giving their precious time and information to inform the public about health and nutrition; both subjects are badly in need of emphasis in our society. Apart from my curiosity for additional health information, I found myself drawn to a well-written article. The subject was the benefits of cocoa. The authors were thorough and the content was very informative. Reading it gave me pleasure, pride and additional knowledge. It addressed both the nutritional and medicinal properties of cocoa, such as its essential nutrient content of the minerals magnesium, copper and iron as well as its history and origin. The indigenous Central and South Americans considered this plant valuable and used it for its therapeutic, allegedly aphrodisiac and other mystical characteristics.
However, what gives cocoa importance in modern day medicine are its polyphenol compounds, which are components of most healthy plants. Polyphenols are phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to protect body cells from free radical damage. Free radicals are oxidized cells, produced when normal cells defend the body against microorganisms. Should these microorganisms multiply due to toxins, they may lead to heart disease and cancer. Polyphenols and flavonoids in cocoa along with vitamins E, C and A in carotenoids and selenium have the ability to fight cell oxidation, therefore reducing degenerative disorders and improving cardiovascular health. Unfortunately a good percentage of flavonoids in cocoa gets destroyed during the processing; it is not known how much is absorbed into the body.
Following is a paragraph from the newsletter article: “Besides reducing oxidation, chocolate may also function somewhat like aspirin in reducing the tendency of the blood to clot raising the possibility that chocolate phytochemicals may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Increased platelet activity and aggregation is associated with thrombosis and may be involved in the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesions. In blood from healthy human subjects, platelet activity was suppressed and clotting time increased two and six hours after the consumption of flavonoid-rich cocoa beverage in comparison with water.”
What caught my attention was the word “chocolate” in the first few lines of the paragraph, whereas the study used the words “flavonoid-rich cocoa” that helped suppress platelet activity and not chocolate.
Comparing chocolate to cocoa is like comparing halawa tahinya to sesame. Moreover, chocolate bonbons are featured everywhere in the newsletter, tempting the reader. By the way, cocoa is the plant and chocolate is a man-made candy. Most chocolate sweets contain many other ingredients that either degrade the quality of cocoa by diminishing its nutritional value or are themselves harmful to the cardiovascular system and general health. The ingredients include a large quantity of fat such as cocoa butter, large amounts of sugar or syrup, dairy products (possibly containing hormones), preservatives and additives to enhance flavor. All these, in excess, are not harmless ingredients to the heart nor do they make a healthy dessert.
According to Dr. Neal Bernard’s book Breaking the Food Seduction, chocolate is an addictive substance, “it targets the same spot on your brain as heroin or morphine” and “it’s what happens inside your brain that keeps you coming back.” Cocoa is rich in caffeine and theobromine, both of which are known to act as stimulants in the body. Traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana is also present in cocoa. These are some of the compounds, which give pleasant brain effects; but the huge amounts of fat and sugar are mostly responsible for making chocolate irresistible and causing the body to crave more.
Fat and sugar seem to be important factors in creating this affinity to chocolate. A 1999 study demonstrated that those who are hooked on the substance physically responded to it in an obvious manner. Reactions of chocoholics were faster heartbeat and salivation at the sight, smell and taste of chocolate.
I would like to emphasize the positive effects of the cocoa plant on the cardiovascular system according to research. However, I am sure that the authors of the newsletter agree that healthy plant-derived cocoa is not the only ingredient in chocolate. Besides, non-fatty cocoa beverages, in moderation, can provide the polyphenol required for cardiovascular health with none of the side effects of the man-made version. Polyphenol is also available in vegetables, fruits, tea and other plants. My worry in this matter is that the word chocolate and the appearance of the chocolate bonbons can be misleading to the uninformed consumer. Such a clear invitation might just send mixed messages to the consumer and encourage the over-consumption of chocolate or legitimize this fatty sweet as a healthy nutrition. Chocolate is only a modern by-product of the ancient healthy cocoa plant.
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected].)
