Putting the “Smart” in Chocolate: Learn how this food benefits your brain

Chocolate may not exactly be a smart food choice for those who are aware of and exposed to its negative press. But do you know that the chocolate bar resting on your cupboard – a cocoa cassava bar, perhaps – may be a boon to your brain?

Naturally retaining flavanols, a special cocoa is found in studies to aid in maintaining a health brain function, thus possibly helping combat dementia and cognitive decline.

These flavanols, which naturally occur in cocoa beans, have been earlier suggested to benefit the heart, inducing good blood flow and improved elasticity in blood vessels. They are also shown to decrease bad LDL cholesterol and to inhibit aggregation of blood platelets, which helps avoid stroke-inducing blood clots.

These benefits of chocolate are also hoped to extend to the brain, positively impacting memory and learning, among others.

Is Chocolate Really Pro-Brain?
British researchers studied selected young women, who were simultaneously working on complex tasks and having their brains studied through magnetic resonance imaging.  Ingestion of the special cocoa was shown to result in as long as three-hour regional changes in the blood flow of their brains.

Surfacing in this study is the potential of cocoa flavanols in treating vascular damage within the brain.

Along with avocado, blueberries, beans, and tea, chocolate finds it way in the roster of food sources that will “supercharge” the brain. Dark chocolate, for instance, is filled with antioxidants and brain-boosting compounds.

In itself, eating chocolate has long been considered instrumental in producing positive feelings. When you consume this food, your brain releases pain-dulling natural chemicals called opiates.

Think Before You Attack the Chocolate Bar!
Top natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola says, however, that not just any cocoa-based sweets carry these benefits to the brain and heart. Dark chocolate, he explains, is still the best option you have. Added milk can wipe out the antioxidant properties of chocolate, where milk proteins bind with the antioxidants and make them less easily absorbed in the body.

Dr. Mercola adds that it is only sound to eat it if you’re healthy and to do so in moderation. Suspect with its usually high sugar content, chocolate may block the road to optimal health if you’re not careful.

You ask: If I can’t devour the whole bar, how much of it can I enjoy to reap the health benefits?

Dr. Mercola echoes the findings of researchers: Less is more. 6.7 grams a day – roughly one small chocolate square – is the recommended amount, which adds up to less than half of the bar per week.

Go Healthy the (Tasty) Cocoa Cassava Way
Fortunately, there are cocoa-based nutritional bars that do not kill the excitement in your palate.

One example are cocoa cassava bars, which are natural energy bars made of healthy ingredients such as cassava flour, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and extra-virgin coconut oil. A cocoa cassava bar offers a neat balance of carbohydrates, fat and proteins, providing both the nutrition you need and the good taste you’ve grown accustomed to during snack time.

Dr. Mercola asserts that despite its projected benefits, chocolate should not be considered to exist in a vacuum. At the end of the day, it is only beneficial in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.