Cacao is bean that comes from cacao trees.  Cacao beans are found inside of large football shaped pods that grow on the cacao trees.  After the cacao beans are picked, fermented, dried, cleaned and then roasted, it becomes cocoa.  Not really sure why the name changes, since it’s basically roasted cacao beans… but for the sake of this article I’ll keep referring to the ingredient as cacao.

This is why chocolate with higher cacao content such as dark chocolate is healthier for you.  To maximize the health benefits of chocolate, you should be looking for 70% or higher dark chocolate.  The percentage represents the amount of cacao in the chocolate.  The only draw back is that cacao is bitter, so the higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter it’ll taste.  Personally, for me my limit is 80 - 85%, anything higher and it’s too bitter for me to eat and enjoy.

So, if you’ve been a fan of sweet milk chocolate, you’re out of luck.  Eating milk chocolate has little to no health benefits at all.  It’s pretty much sugar and unhealthy additives with a hint of cacao.  If you’re not used to eating dark chocolate, it may take a little getting used to but when you see the health benefits it provides, it may be worth re-training your palate.

5 Reasons Why Dark Chocolate is Good for Your Health

1. Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants.  In fact, cacao has more antioxidants than other well known fruits like acai berries, pomegranate, cranberries and blueberries which are known for it’s anti-oxidative properties.  Antioxidants fight against free-radicals that cause cell damage inside your body, causing inflammation.  Some researchers have suggested that cacao beans have a 10% concentration of antioxidants, making them a very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing inflammation.

2. Dark chocolate is packed with healthy fats.  It’s mostly composed of monounsaturated fat and saturated fats which are very stable fats that aren’t susceptible to oxidization, unlike polyunsaturated fats which are very unstable and go rancid quickly.  This is very important because when fat is oxidized (goes rancid) it essentially turns in to free-radicals and starts to cause cellular damage.

3. Dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure.  Studies indicate that the flavonoid content of cacao is responsible for helping lower blood pressure.  Flavonoids are thought to help improve endothelial function and also increase nitric oxide production which causes vasodilation…all of which help lower blood pressure.

4. Dark chocolate helps lower cardiovascular disease.  Studies have found that eating dark chocolate helps decrease bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.  The exact mechanism is not known but researchers think that the high polyphenol content (antioxidants) of cacao helps inhibit free radicals from causing cell membrane damage which can lead to heart disease.

5. Dark chocolate helps boost your mood.  There is a reason why you feel the need to reach for a chocolate bar when you’re having a bad day.  Cacaco beans help stimulate phenylethylamine (PEA), dopamine, and serotonin.  These are all neurotransmitters that increase feelings of happiness and well being.

In addition to the 5 health reasons highlighted above, dark chocolate has even more health benefits:

• Increases insulin sensitivity

• Protects against UV radiation

• Increases energy

• Reduces stress

• Lowers risk of Alzheimer’s

• Improves gut flora

So, next time you reach for a chocolate bar, don’t feel guilty about indulging in a treat.  Just makes sure that you’re getting dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao, low in sugar and little additives as possible.  But keep in mind that it’s still a treat, so enjoy it in moderation.  Also if you like hot chocolate try making your own with high quality raw cacao powder.  You can mix a couple of tablespoons with coconut milk or organic milk (if you’re not lactose sensitive) add some natural sweeteners for taste (like stevia) and voila!  You’ve got yourself a healthy hot chocolate!  Who would have ever thought that hot chocolate could be healthy for you!