The Dark Side of Chocolate

“There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate.”
-Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers

Being a Registered Dietitian (RD) does not confer immunity to comfort food and chocolate cravings, and like many, I have my fixations with some Southern chocolatiers. When in New Orleans, I will always visit Southern Candymakers for their Mississippi Mud bark and Laura's Candies for their chocolate-covered apricots and turtles. I will run someone over to get a tiger paw from the Charleston Candy Company in Charleston, South Carolina. It is also no secret as to the lengths I would go for chocolate truffles and fudge from the Savannah Candy Company in Savannah, Georgia.

Why is chocolate a top comfort food? Eating chocolate releases the same calming brain chemicals (endorphins) that are released during exercise, falling in love, or taking certain drugs. Chocolate influences serotonin levels in the brain, which influence mood and appetite. Phenylethylamine in chocolate affects dopamine and pleasure centers in the brain. Mood instability is one reason people experience carbohydrate cravings. It is also part of the reason many women experience intense chocolate cravings during PMS; serotonin levels are typically lower at that time of the menstrual cycle.

All chocolate is not created equal. Milk chocolate is much lower in flavanols (antioxidants) than dark chocolate. White chocolate is basically faux chocolate, consisting most of cocoa butter. Avoid white chocolate because it contains no cocoa solids (cacao), and lacks the ability to stimulate euphoria-inducing chemicals that “real” chocolate does (like the mood-regulator serotonin).

An increased percentage of cocoa solids (cacao) means higher bitterness in dark chocolate, but also less sugar and more heart-healthy flavanol levels. Though Americans overwhelmingly prefer milk chocolate to dark, the bitter-tasting stuff is simply better for your heart.

Click here to continue reading about the health benefits of dark chocolate in my latest article for OKRA magazine (on its new website). For an archive of my nutrition articles at OKRA, click here.