You may be surprised to find that chocolate is actually a fruit. Okay, not the chocolate you find wrapped in a package and sold on store shelves, but rather cocoa beans. Cocoa beans grow on trees in warm, rainy climates near the equator, such as West Africa, Mexico, Central and South America.
Cocoa, or cacao, is rich in antioxidants and minerals that are beneficial and promote a healthy body. But, not all chocolate is created equal. With today’s manufacturing capabilities, chocolate is mass produced and often contains fillers which are not healthy for us at all. Let’s look at the various types of chocolate to see which one(s) is/are the healthiest chocolate in the world.
Dark chocolate: Most dark chocolate we find today is probably closest to the way nature intended. Dark chocolate has the most concentrated amount of antioxidants found in nature. Research has also shown that increased blood flow, lowered blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels have been achieved due to eating dark chocolate.
Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate is made by adding milk, sugar and other ingredients to cocoa. While the cocoa in milk chocolate still contains the aforementioned health benefits, some of the benefits may be diminished due to the added dairy products and sugar.
White chocolate: White chocolate really isn’t chocolate, although it is made from cocoa butter, the substance produced by pressing cocoa beans. However, cocoa butter is absent of the cocoa solids which make chocolate, chocolate. Cocoa butter is a fat, but it’s considered a healthy fat because 36% of it is made up of neutral fat…meaning it won’t raise your cholesterol levels.
Organic Chocolate: Organic is a way of growing and producing foods without the use of chemicals and pesticides. Many chocolate growers are now being taught how to grow cocoa beans using this technique. Because organic chocolate doesn’t contain any of these harmful chemicals and pesticides, organic dark chocolate is probably the healthiest.
Where can you find organic dark chocolate? Online is probably the best place to conduct your search. Other places would be health food stores, and you might possibly find it on your grocer’s shelf. Be sure to read the ingredients to ensure the cocoa used is superior quality and to ensure no other ingredients are added that would reduce the amazing flavor of real chocolate.
