Wouldn’t it be wonderful if chocolate and heart health went hand in hand. However, there is so much information lately about
health benefits of chocolate that it is only natural that people get confused.It is true, that if people only ate pure cocoa, then there might be heart health benefits. The problem is that most people eat processed chocolate bars containing sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, dairy cream not to mention other “baddies” contained in some of those tasty fillings. Some of these added ingredients can clog up arteries and create havoc to your waistline.
That said, you might be surprised to find out that chocolate isn’t all that bad. In fact, fat content in chocolate, contained in premium grade dark chocolate, is comprised of equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fat – not so good. Saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol and risk of developing heart disease.
Research indicates that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol; neither raising nor lowering LDL-cholesterol levels. Palmitic acid on other hand, does affect cholesterol levels but only comprises one-third of fat calories in chocolate. Therefore, if we base our chocolate eating habits on latest research, fat issue isn’t so worrying.
Beware milk chocolate may not be so heart healthy
As with mist things in life, there is also a down-side to chocolate. When we eat milk chocolate or lower grade chocolate, part of total fat content comes from milk fat or various other types of fat contained in processed chocolate, and not from pure cocoa, which do adversely affect cholesterol levels.
