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Sandhyaa Venkatachalam
Who doesn’t love dark chocolate? A moment of pure bliss in every square… a deep, complex flavor in every bite… a luxurious treat that dances between bitter and sweet… dark chocolate is a true celebration of indulgence.
What’s more tempting is the abundant dose of health benefits that dark chocolate comes with, making it all the more irresistible.
Rich in antioxidants, it is known to improve heart health, enhance brain function, act as a mood booster, support skin health, aid weight management, and improve cholesterol levels.
Dark Chocolate is Anti-Carcinogenic:
Over the years, various research groups have hypothesized and conducted experiments about the potential health gains of dark chocolate. Those results bring us closer to the conclusion and hope that it can be used to treat cancer.
As per a 2022 news bit by Martin Bagot, Health and Science Editor, in the Mirror, the presence of magnesium (Mg) in dark chocolate helps to increase the body’s immune response. In particular, ‘killer T cells’ can act better against cancer cells in a Mg-rich environment.
Likewise, a first-of-its-kind study, reported in BMC Palliative Care by Vettori J. C. et al., talks about the effect of chocolate on older patients with cancer in palliative care. The observation after four weeks of chocolate consumption was that it positively seemed to improve the nutritional status of the old patients along with improving their functionality i.e. ability to engage with day-to-day tasks.
Yet another more recent publication by Wang H. et al., Frontiers in Nutrition 2024, suggests that dark chocolate may have an inhibitory effect on oral cancer. The authors put forward that theophylline, a methylxanthine component naturally occurring in cocoa, the main ingredient of dark chocolate, inhibits the cAMP signaling pathway. Inhibition of this important pathway prevents proliferation of cancer cells, and may possibly induce a cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase.
Dangers Posed by Heavy Metals:
However, not everything is sunshine and rainbows with dark chocolate as a treatment capsule for cancers. A 2022 Consumer Reports article shockingly brought to light the dangerous levels of heavy metals like lead and cadmium in dark chocolate; even in those manufactured by leading companies like Lindt and Hershey’s.
Although believed to be low in sugar and high in fiber, these chocolate bars contained metals beyond MADL (maximum allowable dose level). Such levels can be detrimental especially for pregnant women and young children, as they cause serious developmental problems, low brain IQ, nervous system disorders, hypertension, kidney damage, immune system suppression and reproductive issues.
Chocolate is made from cacao beans consisting of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It is the solids which are packed with phytonutrients called flavanols, the antioxidants that help in positive regulation of blood pressure and blood vessel function, help reduce inflammation and also prevent memory loss. However, during processing several of these nutrients are lost, but the heavy metals lurk around.
By and large, it is possible for companies to make products with safer amounts of heavy metals per serving {less than 0.5 mcg for lead and 4.1 mcg for cadmium}, by tweaking the harvesting and manufacturing practices. While cadmium accumulates in cacao beans from the soil as the tree grows, lead accumulates on the bean shells during sun-drying from the ground. Therefore, finding ways to replace older trees with younger ones that take up less cadmium, and avoiding soil contact while sun-drying to minimize lead could be some of the options that lead to more acceptable levels of heavy metals in the final chocolate product.
Fortification Strategy:
According to an overview of the properties of dark chocolate in the journal, Current Research in Food Science, by Samantha S. et al., a ‘fortification’ process whereby intentionally adding some ingredients like fruits (mulberries, cranberries, dates & palm syrup), spices (cinnamon, turmeric, sakura green tea leaves), phytosterols, peanut oil, probiotics (lactobacillus), prebiotics (inulin, xanthan gum, corn starch), and bioactive components (flavanol, flavan-3-ol, anthocyanin, caffeine) helps to enhance the overall nutrient content. These added ingredients may improve essential fatty acid and antioxidant content and decrease calorie content. Fortification greatly modifies the bitter taste, increases viscosity and improves rheological properties (color, texture, aroma) of the chocolate, all of which make it better for the consumers.
In-vivo anti-oxidative effects:
The polyphenols in dark chocolate undoubtedly make it the healthiest among all forms of chocolate. Epicatechin, flavan-3-ol, and oligomeric procyanidins are the most common types of flavonoids, which are very effective against oxidative stress (they modify glucose metabolism and can scavenge free radicals). They play a protective role against DNA damage and reduce lipid peroxidation. They can also prevent atherosclerosis and maintain arterial flexibility.
The Road Ahead:
Not just for cancer, dark chocolate is found to delay the onset of diseases like AIDS and Alzheimer’s as well. Though still under research, dark chocolate is a functional food that is proven to be anti-diabetic, anti-microbial and anti-ageing. With further study, it could be one of the promising future options for alternate medicine for the prevention of various degenerative diseases.
On that note, a comprehensive study on the impact of dark chocolate on health by Mehankar & Rajpurohit (2024) in the International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology, throw light on the advantages of dark chocolate, but at the same time warn about the drawbacks of overeating including high calorie intake, placing a strong emphasis on the need for responsible consumption.
Header Image Source: https://www.pickpik.com/chocolate-schokalodentafel-chocolate-bars-dark-chocolate-orange-filling-sweet-7442
Edited by Karli Norville
References
- Mehankar, R.B. and Rajpurohit, N.N. The impact of dark chocolate on health, culture, and industry, and identifying knowledge gaps for future research. International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology 11(6) (2024), 565-578.
- Wang, H., Zhang, Z., Wu, S., et al. Dietary patterns suggest that dark chocolate intake may have an inhibitory effect on oral cancer: a Mendelian randomization study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024), doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1342163
- Samantha, S., Sarkar, T., Chakraborty, R., et al. Dark Chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches. Current Research in Food Science 5 (2022), 1916-1943.
- Vettori, J.C., da-Silva, L.G., Pfrimer, K., et al. Effect of chocolate on older patients with cancer in palliative care: a randomised controlled study. BMC Palliative Care 21, Article Number: 5 (2022).
OncoBites 
please refer to the sentence “By and large, it is possible for companies to make products with safer amounts of heavy metals per serving {less than 0.5 mg for lead and 4.1 mg for cadmium}, …….” , the unit should be mcg (microgram) and not mg (milligram)
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Thank you for catching this. It has now been corrected.
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Beautiful and amazing.
The taken for granted munch bites we all have anytime of the day has so many secrets within, is truly well explained. very educative.
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