Reassurance for chocaholics

Is chocolate really good for you? Some facts: Originally from Mexico, chocolate is one of the world’s most appreciated food items, with more than one billion people worldwide consuming some form of it every day.

It contains a number of substances including caffeine and sugar, which both give you a little energy high after eating.

Chocolate also contains a mood-elevating alkaloid called phenylethylamine (it is nicknamed the “love drug” as it triggers the feeling of falling in love). It also contains anandamide, a cannabinoid which hooks up to the same brain receptors that catch similar ingredients in marijuana smoke. It is this “bliss molecule” that plays a role in addiction.

Chocolate contains some iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium as well as vitamins E and B, even though it’s a shame that their levels are relatively low. For example, your 100g bar of dark chocolate only contains about half as much iron as 100g of dried figs.

Chocolate is rich in antioxidants though, and the darker the chocolate, the more concentrated they are.

ANTIOXIDANTS

The antioxidants it contains are known as polyphenols or flavonoids (the same kind found in red wine and green tea). Flavonoids help to quench toxic chemicals (called free radicals) in the body and can prevent the furring of arteries.

So far, so good, but you don’t need me to tell you that brightly coloured fruit and vegetables would make for a much richer source of antioxidants.

When it comes to fat, of the 8g in the average (25g) bar, almost a whopping 5g is saturated fat, which will raise your “bad” cholesterol levels. For a healthier option, opt for the darker varieties. Due to the higher cocoa butter content, some of the fat in dark chocolate comes from stearic acid - this can be converted by the liver into a heart-healthy, monounsaturated fat.

So even if we can’t redefine chocolate as a health food, if you change the way you eat it, you will benefit. Break each square of chocolate (ideally dark) into halves and put each piece under the tongue until it dissolves. This process gives a really intense chocolate hit and makes just a few pieces go a very long way.