There is still one extraordinary treat, considered for thousands of years to be the greatest of indulgences. And it’s pretty darn healthy for you. It’s high-quality dark chocolate.

Chocolate is an herbal medicinal like coffee, tea, and other herbal medicines. Just because it’s a common part of our culture does not mean that it can’t have real medicinal properties. This ancient, native Central American delicacy was considered by the Mayas, Olmecs, Incas, and Aztecs as a “gift of the gods,” touted for its stimulant and aphrodisiac qualities. But, as with many things in life, chocolate is neither a god nor a devil.

Various preparations of the Mexican cacao tree bean (Theobroma cacao) have been enjoyed for at least 1,500 years. Only the very wealthy in Aztec society were able to partake, and cocoa beans were as close as they ever got to having a solid currency.

In 1828, a Dutch food chemist perfected the technique of mixing cocoa powder with cocoa butter so it would melt in your mouth. In 1878, the Swiss added milk to make our modern milk chocolate. The average American consumes 11.5 pounds of chocolate per year, whereas the Swiss consume twice this amount. Chocolate is by far the most craved substance in our culture, with 40 percent of women and 15 percent of men admitting to regular chocolate cravings.

Researchers have taken this “addictive” quality of chocolate quite seriously. It turns out that there are a number of substances in chocolate that can affect our brain chemistry — genuine pharmacological agents. Over 400 discrete compounds have been found in chocolate, and many of them can affect how you feel.

A couple of compounds, called biogenic amines, are chemically related to adrenaline and amphetamine, and show the ability to regulate mood and depression. Addicts weaned from the abuse drug “ecstasy” (MDMA) have been shown to develop strong chocolate cravings in response to getting clean.

The sweet and fat in chocolate may directly stimulate brain opiate receptors, the same brain cells that respond to heroin and morphine. If that weren’t enough, certain fatty acids in chocolate have been shown to activate the same receptors in the brain that are affected by marijuana.

This compound, called anandamine, may activate the parts of the brain that respond to both cannabis and opiates, enhancing possible mood changes after a chocolate bar.

The sugar in chocolate is usually table sugar, which isn’t as bad as the high-fructose corn syrup that sweetens almost everything else in our grocery stores. The cocoa-butter fat in chocolate does not seem to increase cholesterol levels. According to one report, it may actually raise the good form of cholesterol (HDL) and drop a bad form of fat (triglycerides) because of the high content of oleic acid in the cocoa butter.

More important, the healthy flavonoids and polyphenols in dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). The content of these healthy compounds in chocolate is much higher, ounce for ounce, than in blueberries, kale, spinach, or broccoli.

Cocoa is packed full of a surprising number of antioxidants (compounds that can protect living tissue from chemical damage). A major one, called catechin, may help protect you from cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is also found in tea, but there are four times the levels of catechins in chocolate compared to black tea.

The flavonoids in cocoa may thin your blood slightly and act as a mild anti-inflammatory. Chocolate’s procyanidins have the ability to relax blood vessels, possibly decreasing internal arterial wall damage. And one average chocolate bar has the same level of the antioxidant phenols as those found in a glass of red wine.

There is caffeine in chocolate, but only about 10 milligrams per average 1.65-ounce bar, compared to about 80 to 150 milligrams in a cup of coffee. I wouldn’t worry about this amount keeping you up all night. But there is a chemically related compound called theobromine as well, and this may enhance the caffeine effect.

Many women crave chocolate just before their menstrual cycle. It turns out that hormonal fluctuations can change a woman’s brain chemistry, fat stores, and appetite. They may crave sweet, high-fat foods at this time, so chocolate is a perfect choice.

This carbohydrate-and-fat jolt can increase brain serotonin, the chemical that regulates mood and depression. In addition, chocolate is very high in magnesium, which has been shown to help with premenstrual symptoms. Experience teaches that it’s a perfect PMS food.

Now that you’re all ready to run out and stock up on chocolate bars, let me remind you of the downside. Chocolate can increase stomach acid reflux, irritable bowel symptoms in some people, and cause allergic reactions, skin outbreaks, weight gain, and dental cavities.

Some patients say that chocolate can trigger a migraine headache. Though it does contain some tyramine, a common migraine trigger, a well-controlled study from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997 did not show chocolate to cause headaches.

I talk about dark chocolate because milk chocolate has much more fat and sugar, and much lower levels of the healthy compounds. I strongly recommend you wean yourself off milk chocolate and go to at least 60 percent cocoa chocolate. I really don’t think the words “milk” and “chocolate” should exist in the same sentence. “White chocolate” is not chocolate.

Instead of a fattening sugary dessert, I will often do a chocolate tasting with fresh berries and spiced yogurt after dinner with my friends. My favorite brands are Fauchon, Valrhona, NewTree, Scharffen Berger, Pralus, Green & Black’s, Santander, Michel Cluizel, Xocai, Cote d’Or, and Dagoba. But ask your guests to bring their favorite, and everyone can do “Robert Parker” ratings. It’s healthier and much less expensive than wine.

Chocolate is an herbal medicine and an unusual food. It is not the great evil that many people have thought, and it may actually be better for us than we ever realized. Of course, exercise is still the best mood enhancer I know, and your daily diet shouldn’t treat chocolate as one of the major food groups.

But occasional-to-regular indulgence in moderate amounts is probably a good idea. Our other cultural vices cause much illness and injury. Drug and alcohol abuse are rampant. So if you’re going to be stepping up to a bar, you may want to make it a dark-chocolate bar.

To learn more about how you can enjoy mouth watering dark chocolate without feeling guilty click here>>

Dr. James Dillard served as a clinical professor at Columbia University Medical Center and now practices pain, musculoskeletal, and integrative medicine in Wainscott and New York City.

Surprised that chocolate is good for your heart? Chocolate is rich in flavonoids, just like apples, cranberries, peanuts, onions, tea and red wine. It should not surprise you that chocolate is good for your heart. It holds its own with the big boys!

Dr. Carl Keen’s research at the University of California Davis says that the best way to get benefits from the heart enhancing effects of chocolate are to consume cocoa powder of a moderate amount of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate gives the highest amount of chocolate solids in a bar and possesses the lowest percentage of both fat and sugar. Dark chocolate is a natural heart protector. It is inexpensive, pleasurable to eat and a natural food source.

In comparing dark chocolate with red wine, both full of rich phenols for your heart, Dr. Andrew Waterhouse found that one and half ounces of dark chocolate has the same amount of phenols found in a glass of red wine. If cocoa is your choice, you can get similar results as cocoa powder has about 75 percent the amount of phenols found in red wine. Waterhouse and his team of researchers found that the phenols in chocolate and red wine are very similar. They both protect the development of heart disease oxidizing LDLs (bad cholesterol) which in turn protects them from damaging artery walls and help reduce the chance of heart disease.

Dr. Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton says that one cup of black tea has the equivalent of antioxidants to one dark chocolate bar. Vinson and his colleagues conducted a series of four experiments to distinguish the antioxidant content of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate milk made with two different kinds of chocolate syrup and dry hot cocoa mixes containing milk powders. The research concluded that dark chocolate contains approximately 951 phenols. Milk chocolate contained only 394, the chocolate milks came in third and the hot cocoa mixes came in with very little phenols present.

The next study was to measure how chocolate products affected the blood of human beings. The first study was conducted with a 58-year old man and the next one with two men and two women. The subjects consumed dark chocolate muffins and pieces of dark chocolate with their regular meals. The subjects’ blood was drawn before eating, right after eating, in two hours, in four hours and finally in 24 hours. The dark chocolate bound together with the LDL (bad cholesterol) and prevented oxidation which is linked to heart disease. The result is eating dark chocolate lessens the chance of developing heart disease.

A further study was conducted at Pennsylvania State’s nutrition department by Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton showing that even after elimination of other foods rich in flavonoids such as tea, coffee, onions, apples, wine, beans, soy, and apple and grape juices, both cocoa powder and dark chocolate had a significant effect on the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood. Kris-Etherton states that a well-balanced diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, reduced fat dairy products, fatty fish and lean meats, but a variety of foods are crucial in the diet, so make sure to incorporate a little dark chocolate or cocoa into your diet.

These previous studies are further supported by another study that was conducted by The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, Amsterdam. The research studied how cocoa affected the mortality of 1,000 elderly Dutch male subjects. The men who consumed the highest amount of cocoa had a 50 percent less chance risk of cardiovascular diseased than those consuming less cocoa.

Don’t forget about the cocoa when you incorporate this incredible food into your diet. Remember that a dark chocolate bar is made up of cocoa solids. Researchers at Cornell University, being led by Dr. Chang Yong Lee, have studied the effects of hot chocolate and found that hot chocolate may be a better choice than red wine or tea. Researchers tested these three different beverages side by side. They used one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of pure cocoa, one cup of water with a green tea bag, one cup of water with a black tea bag and one glass of red wine. For an average serving, the highest antioxidant levels were in the hot chocolate. It was almost two times stronger than the red wine, two to three times stronger than green tea, and four to five times stronger than black tea. Dr. Lee suggests avoiding the extra sugar and calories found in hot chocolate by using skim or soy milk for regular milk and using an artificial sweetener. Another option is to use water and flavorings such as cloves, vanilla and a spot of honey the way the ancients liked to drink theirs. Cocoa can be consumed either hot or cold, but hot chocolate releases more antioxidants than cold chocolate.

So even though chocolate does indeed have a high fat content being composed of over 50 percent of its calories coming from fat, and most of that fat coming from saturated fat, chocolate is still good for your heart. It doesn’t raise cholesterol levels, actually helps decrease bad cholesterol and keeps those arteries running clear by thinning the blood. Cocoa and chocolate have the same life saving properties as an aspirin a day. The usual dosage of flavonols per day to enhance health benefit is 200 to 500 mg per day. Dark chocolate, over 70 percent, usually contains between 500-2000 mg of flavonols per 100 grams which is about 3.5 ounces. To keep your diet balanced, the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine Department recommends up to seven ounces of dark chocolate per week averaging one ounce per day and then get the remaining portion of your flavonols from a variety of other plant sources. Don’t forget, you can also get your servings from pure, unsweetened cocoa powder.

Stimulant drugs such as Ritalin can be amplified with the consumption of chocolate. If you are taking MAO inhibitors or any drugs to prevent heart arrhythmias, or to treat insomnia, heartburn, ulcers or anxiety, check with your doctor as chocolate may interfere with their action.

If that isn’t enough to get your heart excited about chocolate, chocolate reduces blood pressure too! Dr. Dirk Taubert and his colleagues of the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany conducted a research study to determine the amount of chocolate needed to lower blood pressure. The study spanned from January 2005 and December 2006 and among the participants were forty-four adults ranging in age from 56-73. Twenty-four of the participants were women and twenty were men who had untreated upper range hypertension of 130/85 – 139/89 or stage one hypertension of 140/90 – 160/100. The participants in the study were either given 6.3 grams or 30 calories worth of dark chocolate or the same amount of white chocolate for 18 weeks. The researches found that dark chocolate consumption reduced the average systolic blood pressure by -2.9 and diastolic blood pressure by -1.9. There were no changes in the participants’ body weight, plasma levels or glucose. Hypertension declined from 86 percent to 68 percent.

The participants in the white chocolate group had no changes in either the systolic or diastolic reading. The dark chocolate showed the appearance of phenols in the dark chocolate participants’ blood and the white chocolate showed none. The conclusion of this study shows that eating about 30 calories a day of dark chocolate can lower blood pressure without any side effects. How fantastic is that? Dark chocolate and cocoa can lessen your chance of cardiovascular disease through lower LDLs, bad cholesterol, bring more flavanols into your diet and lower your blood pressure.

- By Annmarie Kostyk

To learn more about the health benefits of dark chocolate click here>>