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Hi, I'm Dr. Brian Goldman. Welcome to The Dose. When you don't know what to give on Valentine's Day, you can't go wrong with a box of chocolates, can you? And a dose of cocoa is supposedly very good for your health, although some studies have cast doubt on that. Seems like a really good time to ask, how does chocolate make me healthier? Hi, Anar. Welcome back to The Dose. Hi. Thank you so much for having me. So how much did the health benefits of chocolate factor into your decision to become a registered dietitian? Well,
Not much, to be honest. During my undergrad, I did a kinesiology degree at Waterloo. I started teaching group fitness classes, so I got really into the exercise component. And then with that, I kind of fell into nutrition. I took it as an elective and I really enjoyed it.
So that's how I kind of progressed into the nutrition field. You've got quite a valuable skill set there. And I'm glad that we're talking to you about this. Before we begin, can you give us a hi, my name is? Tell us what you're doing, where you do it. Hi, my name is Anara Ladina. I'm a registered dietitian. I'm one of the dietitians at the MedCan Clinic. And I also have a virtual practice that I help people maximize their health and nutrition. There's chocolate?
and there's chocolate. What's the healthy kind of chocolate? So we probably know that there's three main types of chocolate. There's white chocolate, there's milk chocolate, and there's dark chocolate.
The chocolate, the actual cacao bean, has gone through processing. So with dark chocolate, it's more intact. So that's where all the nutrients are found. In milk chocolate, it's been stripped away a bit. And there's been milk solids and sugar added. And then in white chocolate, that's the one that's really been, you know, it's more like a source of sugar. The cacao is pretty much not even existed in white chocolate. So it's fair to say that the more processing is done on the chocolate...
the more tasty it might be to some people, but the less nutritional value it has. Exactly. It's sweeter. There's more sugar. And that bitterness that comes from dark chocolate, some people find it too bitter. That bitterness actually has all those good-for-you nutrition.
An important message for people who may be experiencing dark chocolate for the first time, that it's not as sweet and maybe it doesn't excite your taste buds in the same way that white chocolate or milk chocolate does. Dark chocolate, like a little goes a long way. It's very rich. It's very velvety. You know, it's not meant to have tons of it. You know, you kind of enjoy it and savor it.
What are some of the key nutrients in chocolate that have the potential to benefit your health? You know, the benefits are really seen in dark chocolate.
And the higher percentage of that cacao means that it contains most of its nutrients. So you want to try to choose a dark chocolate that has at least 70% of the cacao in there, like the dark chocolate. And that's kind of the happy medium where you can maximize the benefits of dark chocolate, such as the minerals that they contain, specifically magnesium, zinc, which really helps support
your cellular health. Magnesium is such an important mineral. It's personally one of my favorite minerals and it does so many things in our bodies. It's like nature's chill pill. It relaxes us. It relaxes our blood vessels. If there's someone listening that has a heart condition or even diabetes, they've probably been told to take magnesium because it helps support blood flow. Dark chocolate has a really high concentration of magnesium. It's one of the richest sources of magnesium.
Additionally, dark chocolate, because of the cacao, also has fiber in it, which again is really supportive to our gut health and helps with blood sugar stabilization as well. Let's talk about flavanols that are also found in cacao. Yeah, so flavanols are antioxidants. Dark chocolate is actually one of the richest sources of these antioxidants. It really, again, supports your cellular health.
It makes our cells robust. It gives them energy. It helps fight damaging free radicals. So it's a great source of antioxidants for sure. A recent study in the British Medical Journal suggested that dark chocolate could lower diabetes risk. What can you tell us about that? Because dark chocolate, again, has fiber in it, which is so important for blood sugar regulation, it really helps with preventing blood sugar spikes that we see in other types of
white chocolate, milk chocolate, as well as other sorts of candy. So dark chocolate has those protective benefits. The fiber, it also has magnesium, which is really important for blood flow. Also has zinc. And it of course has antioxidants that really support our cellular health. So all of these benefits, in addition to having a healthy diet, can really be a great tool to include to kind of keep you healthy.
What about the type of sugar that's found in dark chocolate compared to, say, milk chocolate? Dark chocolate doesn't have very much sugar added to it. Some companies do add a bit of sugar to improve the taste. So if you choose like 100% dark chocolate, it's not going to be sweet at all. That's why I feel that a 70% chocolate, and studies confirm this as well, that's kind of like
you know, you are maximizing the benefits. There is some sweetness to that. And that's where you can benefit from the health aspects of dark chocolate. So you've named a number of minerals. Do flavanols play any role in potentially improving diabetes control in people who consume dark chocolate? A hundred percent. So those antioxidants are really supportive again.
because they help fight free radical and oxidative stress that our cells are in contact with. It helps fight inflammation. And all metabolic conditions at the end of the day, there is a form of inflammation going on. So these are really high anti-inflammatory foods because of those flavanols that are present. Other studies have suggested that dark chocolate could have a beneficial effect on cholesterol, on lipids.
on blood pressure and in so doing could lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Do you put much weight on those kinds of studies? Dark chocolate is not a miracle food, right? We need to really look at our lifestyle.
our exercise, the rest of our diet. And adding dark chocolate, you know, in a portioned amount, a little goes a long way, can be really protective. Again, because it is a rich source of magnesium, which relaxes our blood vessels, which helps with blood pressure, you know, the flavanols, you know, again, more circulation that our body is receiving because our blood is able to flow better. It's going to help our cardiovascular health as well.
But again, you know, it's not a miracle food. It is a fantastic food that you want to try to include in an overall healthy diet. Joe Schwartz, who runs the Office for Science and Society at McGill University, and he's one of Canada's great science skeptics, pointed out some rather obvious holes in that BMJ study that we talked about. For instance, the researchers relied on subjects remembering how much chocolate they ate,
on a regular basis over years. And he just wonders how people can possibly keep that in their minds for that period of time. So how seriously should we take these studies? Now, the British Medical Journal is not a shabby journal, but how seriously should we take these studies? Taking it with a grain of salt, even the subjects that were studied, right?
There were white, non-Hispanic Americans, and there's other ethnic groups that are predisposed to developing type 2 diabetes. So it would be interesting to see how they would classify. You know, Caucasians are at a lower risk compared to some other ethnic groups like Asians, South Asians, Hispanics.
So it would be interesting to see that. So taking all of these variables into consideration, it's just important to note that, yes, okay, there is a benefit of dark chocolate. It has these nutritional qualities that can really support your overall health. So if you're someone who's just like, I really don't like dark chocolate or I don't like chocolate,
You don't need to necessarily go start having it. You know, it's just one of the other foods. There's other foods that also have a really great nutritional profile, like pumpkin seeds, nuts. You know, they have a lot of, again, a great source of magnesium that you can get. You don't necessarily have to have dark chocolate, but it's nice to know that if you do enjoy that, that you can include that and it can be really protective for your health.
A random influencer, a friend who read something somewhere, your doctor. It can be hard to know where to get trusted health information.
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So that we can be really inclusive on this Valentine's Day edition of The Dose. Clearly, if you've got somebody who you can send Valentine's to, hopefully they send Valentine's to you back. It can be a very grand day, but I guess for some people who are pining for companionship, it could be a day when they're feeling blue. And there's a reason why some people eat chocolate when they are feeling depressed, and that's because it contains a compound called phenylethylamine.
What is that and what does it do? This is a chemical that the brain releases when you're feeling good and it makes you feel happy and excited. So again, it's one of those neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin that just makes you feel good. So yeah, there's a host of foods that do have these qualities in them.
So it can just make you feel good. And it's also supporting your health at the same time. What other foods boost your mood? Salmon, like fatty fish. They have a lot of omega-3s, which really enhance your brain health, your mood. Other sources of foods that contain magnesium, pumpkin seeds,
beans, nuts, those are all really great sources that can really help you feel good. I have another question I want to ask you on this Valentine's Day edition of The Dose. Does chocolate have any aphrodisiac qualities? So this is such an interesting question. So yes, because it has, you know, it helps you feel good in terms of releasing the brain chemicals like serotonin, you know, dopamine. It's not a miracle food in a sense that this is going to be, you know,
the best thing for me to have on this day in terms of putting me in the mood it's something to add but you shouldn't just rely on it i think the bigger question is you know you want to have foods in your diet and your lifestyle that helps support your libido and using foods in a single you know entity just to have it as an aphrodisiac
is kind of misleading. Oysters, again, are another food that are apparently an aphrodisiac, but again, it's a really rich source of zinc. So dark chocolate has zinc in it, it has magnesium in it, and these nutrients just help you feel good. They really support
Your overall health releases dopamine, serotonin, and that's why they've been singled out as, oh, it's an aphrodisiac. Really, just including foods like this can just help support your overall libido. We're talking about dark chocolate. You've already mentioned that it's rich and complex. How much realistically should we be consuming and how often if we want to get the health benefits without consuming too much of it?
having an ounce, which is like three small squares, an ounce, 28 grams is a perfect amount to have daily. So if you really enjoy something sweet after a meal, a lot of people do, it just kind of signifies that their meal is done. Having a small or a square of dark chocolate is absolutely okay and you can do that pretty
pretty much daily. I think in the study that you had mentioned, the BMJ study, they found that the benefits were seen when it was consumed over five days, like more than five days in a week. So if you enjoy something sweet, you can definitely include that daily. Again, the portions matter. Dark chocolate, you know, there are calories in it, there is fat in it. So a little bit does go a long way. So one ounce, 28 grams is a safe amount.
And so many chocolate companies, they even make pre-portioned dark chocolate, you know, that's already wrapped individually. I personally love those because it helps keeps your portion in check for sure. Because it is, it's hard, right? When you have a big bar and you're just kind of going at it. So having things that are portioned out is another way, you know, that you can include that into your diet.
You've talked about some of the essential nutrients that are found in dark chocolate, but a study from 2022 also showed that certain brands of chocolate contain heavy metals. How concerned should people be about that? Okay, so there is a lot of testing that goes on in Canada in terms of what's, you know, advised to be safe. That study showed that the higher percentages of cacao are
So things that haven't been processed so much, just the way it's been harvested, you know, it has exposure in the soil to lead and so forth. So they found that a 70%, again, dark chocolate, that's a number that keeps on showing up in studies, is a safe amount. So if you're someone who really enjoys like a 90% or 95, 100, I would say having that a few times a week is okay. If you're sticking to a 70%, again, how much of that you're having, an ounce, it's absolutely safe to include.
You know, and if you are really concerned, there are companies, they have more information on their heavy metal content. So this study was really interesting. Again, it just really highlights how, you know, there's not one perfect food and there's other caveats to it. But if it's something that you're really concerned with, then definitely doing your research, trying to find a brand that aligns with that would be your best bet.
And again, with this study, it's found that with the lead, it's more of a risk for younger children as well. So you mentioned lead. What other heavy metals? I think it's cadmium as well that's found. What should we look for on a package? You want to look for a dark chocolate that has, again, at least 70%. If you are new to dark chocolate, then start with a 50% or a 60% just so you can kind of get familiar with that taste.
If you're choosing a chocolate, having chocolate with some nuts or seeds gives you additional protein and healthy fat, which will help with your blood sugar. You want to also compare the sugar grams as well. So dark chocolate does have less sugar than milk chocolate. So looking for a dark chocolate has less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. So single digits is something to keep out for if sugar is a main concern for you.
You also want to look at the fiber grams. So you'll see that dark chocolate does have three grams, four grams per serving. So looking at that would be helpful. And also looking at the ingredient list. You know, you don't want to have sugar as the first ingredient, ideally. You want to see the cacao in there. Yeah, you just want to look out for the milk solids and sugars to see, you know, what this product contains. So those are some ingredients.
some areas that you can look for when you're looking for a dark chocolate brand. You started to mention a couple of foods that you might pair with dark chocolate. Can you say more about that and what the benefit is of doing that? You know, when we're having something sweet, if we add protein to that, if we add healthy fat to that, the way that sugar is released in our bloodstream is not going to be as pronounced. It helps kind of dampen it so we don't have blood sugar spikes.
So if you're having chocolate, try to have it right after a meal that contains protein. If you're having it on an empty stomach, have some nuts with it. You can pair that to get that protein, healthy fat, and fiber, which is going to help stabilize your blood sugar. You know, you can take dark chocolate shavings and put it on some Greek yogurt or
You can add it to an oatmeal bowl if you want for breakfast to give it a little bit of flavor. So when you add it to foods that have that fiber, the healthy fat and protein, the way that sugar is released is more favorable to our blood sugar. Well, Anar, Aladina, I must confess that I am a chocolate lover and I don't just enjoy chocolate on Valentine's Day.
But I do want to wish you a happy Valentine's Day. And thank you very much for coming on The Dose to talk about chocolate, telling me all the good things and all the good reasons why I should continue to consume it. It was my pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.
Anar Aladina is a registered dietitian in Toronto. Here's your dose of smart advice. Chocolate is made from tropical theobroma cacao tree seeds. Cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, contains biologically active phenolic compounds called flavanols. Other nutrients found in chocolate include magnesium, fiber, zinc, and iron. Flavanols are antioxidants. They are anti-inflammatory and potentially protect against cell damage caused by free radicals. They are said to reduce blood clotting and increase circulation to the heart.
Eating dark chocolate may also reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Flavanols may also reduce oxidative stress in the body. When we talk about health benefits, we're really only talking about dark chocolate. Much of the research into chocolate's effect on health focuses on either cocoa extract or dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. In some studies, eating at least 70% cocoa lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, potentially lowering the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease.
But other studies have found that cocoa extract doesn't significantly lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. A recent study found that chocolate didn't reduce the risk of major cardiovascular outcomes, including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and an irregular heartbeat.
A study recently published in the British Medical Journal suggested that eating five or more servings of dark chocolate a week, compared with no consumption, reduced the risk of diabetes by 21%. But questions have been raised about the study's methodology. So where does that leave chocolate lovers? Well, if you want to indulge, the healthy option is dark chocolate containing 70% or more cocoa.
Keep in mind that white chocolate doesn't contain cocoa beans. As well, the beans that end up in milk chocolate and even some forms of dark chocolate are processed in a way that can significantly lower their flavanol content. Remember that the more refined the chocolate, the more sugar, fat, and calories, all of which can end up doing more harm than good.
To manage portions, consider buying chocolate in pre-portioned sizes. And try having nuts or yogurt with your chocolate, which can help to slow down how quickly the sugar contained in the chocolate is released into your bloodstream. If you have topics you'd like discussed or questions answered, our email address is thedoseatcbc.ca. If you liked this episode, please give us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.
This edition of The Dose was produced by Samir Chhabra. Our senior producer is Colleen Ross. The Dose wants you to be better informed about your health. If you're looking for medical advice, see your health care provider. I'm Dr. Brian Goldman. Until your next dose. For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.