Super Fruit

You can imagine how this article - Chocolate is a 'super fruit': Rich source of antioxidants - caught my eye! More and more good news about dark chocolate; I even learned that dark chocolate is an iron-rich food (though it shouldn't be any one's main source of iron!)

I decided to do a little research to make sure we all know how to purchase healthy chocolate.

The main points I found are:

• Buy dark chocolate that's at least 70% cacao
• Also try cacao powder or a very simple, pure cocoa powder*
• Consume it in moderation, no more than one ounce per day

Dr. Oz in an article on Oprah.com, Good Chocolate, Bad Chocolate and How to Tell the Difference, states that "Chocolate contains naturally-occurring antioxidants called flavanols and epicatechins (two types of flavonoids). They help keep your blood flowing freely, reduce your blood pressure, and decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke. They also help protect your skin from UV damage from the sun. There's more: Studies have found that adults who eat a little chocolate five times a week have lower BMIs. As if that weren't enough, chocolate has been found to dampen the levels of the stress hormone cortisol."

Self Magazine, How to Pick the Healthiest Dark Chocolate, The health benefits of dark chocolate come from the cocoa present in it, so that generally means that the higher the percentage of cocoa, the "healthier" it is for you.

The study that initially caught my attention was about the benefits of cocoa powder (cacao refers to either the tree, beans or pods of the cacao tree that are raw and unprocessed, while cocoa powder is the processed and refined version of the exact same plant.) Read more - Self magazine had an article about this study: One Reason Why Cocoa is Good for You.

Livestrong.com breaks down dark chocolate's nutritional facts. Dark chocolate is an energy-rich food that provides about 170 calories per ounce. You'll also get varying amounts of sugar and fat from dark chocolate, depending on the amount of sweetener and fat used to make the chocolate. Typically, 1 ounce contains about 12 grams of total fat, 7 grams of saturated fat and 24 grams of sugar, according to the USDA. Because it's such a rich source of calories, fat and sugar, you should eat chocolate in moderation, particularly if you're trying to lose or maintain your weight or have diabetes.

Action Item: Dark chocolate has a much different taste than creamy milk chocolate. Keep trying dark chocolate in small portions and your taste buds and your body will soon thank you!

*For Further Reading: If the talk of cocoa and cacao confuse you too, read this article or this one to try to figure out the differences.

COCOA and CACAO or often used interchangeably but that is incorrect. You'll see that it is used differently even in these articles. From what I've read, go for CACAO because it's typically raw and packed with nutrients. COCOA powder is the processed cacao bean and can have added ingredients, but based on this new study cocoa is showing benefits too.

If you're unsure... READ THE LABELS. For example, I've seen a brand of Special Dark chocolate chips at the store. It is NOT dark chocolate, perhaps that's why they used the term "special." :) Look for cacao or cocoa and very few other ingredients.