A steaming mug of hot chocolate seems like the perfect remedy to alleviating a cold and improving your mood, but what if chocolate could actually cure your cold?
Surprisingly, chocolate had been a medicine, not a dessert, for centuries. Originating in Mesoamerican tradition, cocoa derivatives were used as an aphrodisiac, a mood enhancer, and a cure-all remedy to common ailments such as fever, fatigue, indigestion, and chest pain. When Spanish colonists introduced cocoa to Europe in the mid-16th century, European physicians and scientists began documenting its medicinal value. Everything from hair loss to syphilis, chocolate was rumored to cure. Of course, most of chocolate’s purported health benefits were unfounded speculations and claims, but there were a few consistent observations across historical records: Chocolate helped sick or emaciated patients gain weight, stimulated the nervous system, and improved digestion and the bowels. Some modern historians also suggest that chocolate was health promoting because the preparation and heating of chocolate drinks likely killed microbial pathogens.
Despite chocolate's questionable benefits, it became so popular that, beginning in the 19th century, drug manufacturers created lines of chocolate-flavored medical products to improve sales.
(left) A tin of chocolate flavored laxative and (right) a Hershey’s ad describing chocolate syrup as a “stepping stone to health.” Both were produced ca. 1930
Even American soldiers in the Revolutionary War, U.S. Civil War, and World War II were given rations of chocolate since its “nutritional robustness” helped improve energy levels (perhaps due to the natural caffeine in cacao) and encourage weight gain.
Simultaneously in the 20th century, chocolates were increasingly manufactured with milk and sugar by household names like Cadbury, Nestle, and Hershey’s. This unfortunately contributed to chocolate’s current reputation as being a high-fat and high-sugar candy associated with cavities and obesity.
(Note: All the chocolates contain cocoa butter, but white chocolate's distinguishing characteristic is its high amounts of cocoa butter and lack of cocoa solids.)
Now that we have covered the rise and fall of chocolate as a medicine, you may be wondering if chocolate actually has any proven medicinal benefits.
Possible evidence of chocolate’s health benefits can be found on a spattering of small islands off the coast of Panama. An isolated tribe of Kuna Indians live there, and they consume an average of three 10 oz cups of cocoa beverage. Interestingly enough, the Kuna Indians have significantly lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, and cancer compared to their Panamanian counterparts living in urban centers. Granted, the islanders’ diet includes more fruits and fish than Panama City dwellers, but their high consumption of cocoa (about 10x more) is a significant portion of their diet that cannot be ignored.
What does the scientific community have to say about this? Multiple research associates moderate consumption of dark chocolate with improved cardiovascular function, lowered blood pressure, and increased insulin sensitivity (therefore reduced risk of diabetes). However, this does not mean you should immediately start eating ten bars of dark chocolate every day! To start, research so far is inconsistent and sparse because it is difficult to control people's chocolate eating habits for long-term studies, and seemingly infinite factors can affect overall health. Secondly, the harmful effects of too much sugar and saturated fats would supersede chocolate’s proposed benefits. In fact, the chocolate the Kuna Indians consume is far different than what you might find at the supermarket here. The Kuna Indians’ chocolate drink is made of dried and ground cocoa beans. Our dark chocolate bars are roasted and processed with some milk and sugar. Unfortunately, processing removes much of the flavanols in cocoa, an antioxidant thought to be the root of chocolate’s benefits. Flavanols are also found in fruits, veggies, and tea. The darker the chocolate, the more cocoa solids, the more flavanols.
To say the least, the medicinal benefits of chocolate are murky, and you are likely as disappointed as I am to not have an excuse to eat pounds of chocolate every day. However, it does mean that dark chocolate has its place in a balanced diet as a delicious snack or dessert. To that end, I recently developed my own Healthy Chocolate Brownie Recipe that capitalizes on chocolate’s classic bitterness and associated health benefits! Stay tuned; I will share the recipe this weekend!
Sources
History of Cocoa
Health Benefits of Cocoa
Images (in order of appearance):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-MEDICINE-TIN-WATKINS-LAXATIVE-WAFERS-CHOCOLATE-FLAVORED-/110780096541
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