We all love chocolate, but there is a side of chocolate most people don't see... the dark side. Unlike its lighter-shaded cousins, dark chocolate has spent years as the "other chocolate." But now it's coming out of the shadows and into the forefront of the chocolate revolution -- and, apparently, finding plenty of support from health-conscious consumers. The reports of dark chocolate being healthy for one's heart has sent demand for this sweet treat soaring. With sales up 40 percent this year and dark chocolate revenue from last year topping $1.62 billion, according to Mintel International, it's time to recognize the chocolate shade shift.
But is dark chocolate really the answer to your cravings? Well, if you believe the research that has recently surfaced about its antioxidant-rich and flavonol-filled nature, then it could be what you need for your chocolate fix.
Although the new fervor about thehealth benefits of chocolate partially come from -- you guessed it -- research done by chocolate companies. A large percentage of research that'sf ueling the frenzy for dark chocolate as a health food comes from the Mars Corporation. The findings help the marketing for their Dove Dark,CocoaVia, M&M's Dark and limited-time Snickers Dark offerings.
It seems most chocolatiers are no longer afraid of the dark. One in three chocolate product launches this year included dark chocolate.
Is it time to go to the dark side?
According to Pamela Ofstein, eDiets director of nutrition services, dark chocolate "contains epicatechin, which is a compound of plant flavonoids. These flavonoids can help keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels and reduce the risk of blood clots."
But before you trade in your granola bar for a chocolate bar, remember that chocolate also contains a high amount of fat and calories per small serving -- 210 calories and 12 grams of fat for a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar.
So adding chocolate to your diet just forthe heart-health effects will also add unwanted calories, sugars,saturated fats and pounds. Ofstein recommends one to 1.5 ounces per dayof dark chocolate to curb your confection cravings.
The benefits are real, but like most things, dark chocolate works best in moderation.
Americansspend nearly $10 billion a year to buy roughly 1.5 million tons ofchocolate. If you need a chocolate fix, go dark because typically thedarker the chocolate, the sweeter the health benefits.
Here's how your sweets stack up:
Dark chocolate should be your first choice; with heart-healthy antioxidants called flavonoids and no added milk fat, it's superior to its chocolate cousins.
America's favorite, milk chocolate, has more added sugar and fewer flavonoids than dark chocolate, as well as containing added milk fat, which raises cholesterol levels.
White chocolate contains no flavonoids and has added sugar and milk fat. It's the least healthy of the three.
If only there was a healthy dark chocolate with low glycemic sweeteners, lower in fat and calories and higher in fiber, without added fillers and waxes. And it would be super amazing if that dark chocolate was cold processed, leaving in all the nutrients.
Now there is such a dark chocolate.
Excerpted from Shawn McKee at eDiets
