World Scientific Consensus on Chocolate

There are Many Reasons to Enjoy America's Favorite Flavor

(McLean VA) - September 28, 1999 - Nutritionists and scientists from around the world have come to a delicious conclusion-eaten in moderation, Americans can enjoy chocolate without guilt. The results have just been published from a two-year review of hundreds of research studies conducted worldwide in recent years that involved chocolate and health issues.

The comprehensive research review is the first of its kind, covering the past 25 years of studies on chocolate and health. Published as a reference book titled Chocolate & Cocoa, Health and Nutrition, the review is aimed at scientists, nutritionists and the medical community.

For the review, scientists and nutritionists from the United States and Europe scrutinized chocolate from every health aspect, from dental health, obesity and food cravings to diabetes, fat content and food allergies.

"The best and most knowledgeable worldwide scientific experts in their respective fields participated in this review," explains Larry Graham, president of the American Cocoa Research Institute (ACRI).

Here are some excerpts from their review of America's favorite flavor:

• Chocolate and cocoa contain several important minerals and are a major source of copper in the North American diet.
• Chocolate and cocoa are a very rich source of antioxidants that may help protect people from heart disease and certain cancers.
• The main saturated fat in chocolate is stearic acid, which does not affect the body's cholesterol levels.
• Research indicates chocolate does not cause migraines, which instead appear to be linked to hormones, stress and perhaps some other foods.
• Chocolate has not been linked to obesity in studies. Consuming too many calories from all sources of food coupled with insufficient activity levels is the main cause of weight gain.

"Chocolate is a delicious food that has been treasured for hundreds of years," explained Graham. "Today, some people feel a little guilty when they enjoy chocolate because it is such a pleasurable food, but that was not the case hundreds of years ago when chocolate was lauded for its nutritional benefits. Maybe now we can all relax and just enjoy our chocolate."

Chocolate, the volume of research points out, is a much-studied food with some interesting properties. Some of the more recent and ongoing research involves the high level of polyphenol antioxidants in chocolate and cocoa.

"People forget that chocolate is a food derived from plants. All chocolate begins with cocoa beans harvested from cacao trees in tropical regions. The cocoa and chocolate derived from the beans are very high in antioxidant compounds--one of the highest levels you can find in any food," added Graham.

The book was published by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), an intergovernmental organization representing 40 countries that import or export cocoa, in cooperation with the International Cocoa Research and Education Foundation (ICREF), which is associated with ACRI.