Dark Chocolate: Get a Taste of Healthy Benefits

Dr. Mike: Hey, Dr. Mike here. Is every type of chocolate healthy? Stay tuned to find out.

Live Foreverish Introduction: You're listening to Live Foreverish, a show dedicated to helping you live just a little longer. Here [are] your hosts, Dr. Mike and Dr. Crystal Gossard.

The Origins of Chocolate 00:00:14

Dr. Mike: All right, welcome to Live Foreverish. Dr. Crystal, the Maya considered a drink [made] from chocolate to be the “food of the gods.”

Dr. Crystal: Oh yes. I believe it.

Dr. Mike: Gosh, it's so good.

Dr. Crystal: Heaven sent.

Dr. Mike: Hey, [do] you remember the saying “money doesn't grow on trees”? It used to be because they traded cocoa beans. They wanted these things.

Dr. Crystal: That is true. I forgot about that.

Dr. Mike: That’s how wonderful chocolate is.

My teaser was: Are all different types of chocolate healthy? I think most people nowadays are familiar with the fact that dark chocolate is the way to go for the [healthiest option]. I think most people.

Dr. Crystal: Right. But you know, it is a seed. And I say, “Eat your nuts and seeds.”

Dr. Mike: I know. We'll get into that in a little bit because [there are] different types.

Let's just talk real quick—forget the different types—[about] what [chocolate is]. When we think of chocolate, that's the end product of a process.

Dr. Crystal: Right, it's the end product. It's the seed of the cacao fruit. The cacao fruit reminds me of a football.

Dr. Mike: You brought it in once.

Dr. Crystal: I did! Oh, I forgot about that. I [bought the] full fruit.

When you [open] the fruit, you have these pods. Inside of the pods [are] the seeds and that's where we make the chocolate. But around that seed is fruit.

You can buy dried cacao fruit, and it tastes almost like a prune.

Dr. Mike: I thought we ate some.

Dr. Crystal: We ate some. We did. I brought in a package of it, which makes me so happy because it's usually not consumed.

It’s a part of the bigger fruit that I feel like we’re just [wasting]. So, it's nice to be able to use the fruit holistically.

Dr. Mike: I know. I like the end chocolate better. It was okay.

Tell us a little bit then: the cacao seed—ultimately, this is [what will] become cocoa powder, which can then [be used to] make all different types of chocolate.

Dr. Crystal: Yes. The seed from that fruit is fermented, [dried], cleaned, roasted and shelled. Then you get this nib, and you can find the nibs in the store.

Dr. Mike: You can eat those.

Dr. Crystal: You can eat those nibs. I think we have some in our storage unit.

Dr. Mike: We do?

Dr. Crystal: We do. Right in there.

Dr. Mike: From like five years ago?

Dr. Crystal: You take the nibs, and you grind them. It turns into what they call liquor.

Dr. Mike: It's liquor. It's the way it flows. It doesn’t mean there's ethanol in it.

Dr. Crystal: No, it just becomes more of a liquid because there are [a lot] of fats.

Dr. Mike: Oysters have liquor.

Dr. Crystal: Exactly. That liquor can be used as is or separated. If you use it as is, you can add your milk or sugar and make your chocolate.

Or it can be separated, where you have your cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

You separate the butter. That's where cocoa butter comes from. And that's where your white chocolate [comes] from—the cocoa butter piece.

What’s the Difference Between Dark, Milk, and White Chocolate? 00:03:48

Dr. Mike: If I take the nibs, crush them up and don't add anything, that's 100 percent dark chocolate.

Dr. Crystal: Yes. It will be very bitter and astringent.

Dr. Mike: I like 90 percent.

Dr. Crystal: Yeah, I do, too.

Dr. Mike: That's 10 percent added sugar. [That’s] not so bad because there's fiber in there, too. That helps to offset that net sugar.

Dr. Crystal: Well, it's a seed. You get your fiber, you get your polyphenols.

I'm jumping ahead, but it's also fermented. When we think about fermented foods and how [good it is] for your gut and everything, [we] typically think of vinegar fermented [foods].

Dr. Mike: Chocolate is fermented.

Dr. Crystal: Kimchi. Sauerkraut.

Dr. Mike: Now, I didn't know this. The industry defines dark chocolate as simply 55 percent or more. 55 percent, though—that's still close to half the sugar.

Dr. Crystal: Well, yes.

Dr. Mike: What do you consider, as a nutritionist, to be dark?

Dr. Crystal: Personally, 80 [percent]. I like 80 or 85.

Dr. Mike: 80 or higher. 80, 85 or 90.

Dr. Crystal: You can still satisfy your little sweet tooth, but you're not getting [a lot] of sugar. Again, the higher [the] percentage, [the more] pure [the] chocolate. With the lower percentage, you're getting more milk [and] sugar.

Dr. Mike: Yeah. Then [with] milk chocolate, they [add] milk to it. It's the nib and the sugar they're adding.

I think it has to be at least 12 percent or more milk. As you said, white chocolate is simply the cocoa butter part with milk and sugar. So—that cocoa butter though, that's not the seed anymore.

Dr. Crystal: It's the fat from the seed.

Dr. Mike: It's fat from the seed. But a lot of the nutrients from the seed are not there [now].

Dr. Crystal: Yeah. Those polyphenols and everything—it's not there. So, you’re getting saturated fat.

Dr. Mike: That's why we talk mostly about dark chocolate, because that's where a lot of the research is [about the] benefits [for] your heart and other things. It's not white chocolate, but people like white chocolate.

Dr. Crystal: Very true.

Dr. Mike: Very true. So, what are we getting? If I said, “Dr. Crystal, give me your three best reasons I should eat 85 percent dark chocolate.”

Can Dark Chocolate Improve Cholesterol and Heart Health? 00:06:14

Dr. Crystal: Antioxidants—those cocoa polyphenols can have an anti-inflammatory effect; they fight free radicals. Hands down, that's going to be my number one health benefit.

Dr. Mike: That’s huge.

Dr. Crystal: One of the richest sources of antioxidants outside of coffee [is chocolate].

Dr. Mike: Coffee is high, too. Oh yeah!

Dr. Crystal: Coffee is high, too.

Dr. Mike: How about some coffee and dark chocolate?

Dr. Crystal: Oh! Even better.

I also like dark chocolate or cocoa powder for blood flow.

Dr. Mike: That was my introduction to chocolate polyphenols. It had to do with—I can't remember—[being] directly related to nitric oxide or something.

But there was more about increasing blood flow throughout the body—just making [it] flow better at the end of the day. That’s where [it then] sprang into cardiovascular research and all that kind of stuff.

Dr. Crystal: Yeah. Did you ask me for my top two or three?

Dr. Mike: Three. So that was one.

Dr. Crystal: Three. I said antioxidants, blood flow and anti-inflammatory. Those are my top three.

Dr. Mike: It says here compounds in cocoa lower the activity of the [nuclear transcription] factor kappa, a powerful pro-inflammatory compound. Dark chocolate is going to calm it down.

Do you have chronic inflammation? Find out with an inflammation health lab test!

Dr. Crystal: Yep. Now, some others that we have...

Dr. Mike: There's a whole bunch!

Dr. Crystal: A whole lot! [Supporting] healthy lipid levels, potentially LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. There was a meta-analysis of 10 short-term clinical trials with 320 participants, which showed that it can be helpful for lipids.

Dr. Mike: Yeah. People might be surprised to know [that] it can also support insulin sensitivity and healthy blood glucose.

Dr. Crystal: If you have [a] sweet tooth and you choose dark chocolate, now you're not going for the ultra-processed pastries [or] cakes. It can help you. It's a healthier substitution, I would say.

Dr. Mike: We did a show on this. Remember, we talked about how to substitute better [snacks]? One of our things was [that] if you got a sweet tooth, drop the Mars bar and go with some dark chocolate.

Here’s what you should expect: It can help your sugar craving. It's not going to be as sweet as that pastry, but it still could help [curb] that sugar craving. And it's so much better for you.

Is Dark Chocolate Good for Your Health? 00:09:05

Dr. Crystal: Yeah. I think that's one mechanism. It's a healthy substitute, but we do see direct impacts.

Dr. Mike: Oh yeah. No, for sure. There's a bunch here.

Dr. Crystal: Improving insulin resistance [and] insulin sensitivity—meaning the sugar is recognized by your cells. Your glucose is getting out of the bloodstream and into your cells, which can support healthy glucose levels.

Dr. Mike: [It] supports healthy cognitive function. It could have a prebiotic effect, and of course, it's really good for your mood.

Dr. Crystal: Yes.

Dr. Mike: I mean, that makes sense. They’ve said for years that chocolate lovers have [an] overall [better] view [of life]. I don’t know.

Dr. Crystal: Oh. Well, yes. I mean, it's a little bit of a stimulant—it has a little caffeine. I love it.

Just to review quickly, [with] milk chocolate, you're not getting a lot of the actual cacao.

Dr. Mike: Milk chocolate is 45 percent. No, that was 55 percent dark chocolate.

Dr. Crystal: Right. We want dark chocolate. There will be no milk; dark chocolate is just nibs and sugar.

Dr. Mike: The milk is replacing some of that dark chocolate—the good polyphenols and all that stuff. Dark chocolate is the way to go—80 percent or higher.

Dr. Crystal: I would say that.

Dr. Mike: Start at 80. See if you like 85. Try 90. See what you like.

I don't mind the bitterness that much. 90 is pretty good [for] me—I don't mind it. People can't see [the] look that you're giving me.

Dr. Crystal: I know I'm giving him this look like, “Oh, I don't know.” You have to work your way up to 90.

Dr. Mike: I said “I.” I didn't say “everyone.”

Dr. Crystal: Okay.

Dr. Mike: See that, Robson?

Dr. Crystal: I want our listeners to know. I don't want them to run out [and] buy the ninety [being] like, “What was Dr. Mike talking about?”

Dr. Mike: Fine, that's what I said. Start at 80—work it up. 90 is pretty good.

All right. Let's go into some common questions. This is a big one: Is dark chocolate vegan?

Vegan Status of Dark Chocolate 00:11:30

Dr. Crystal: You better check.

Dr. Mike: That's okay.

Dr. Crystal: You better look for vegan on the label. You can assume dark chocolate is vegan.

Dr. Mike: You can assume that.

Dr. Crystal: And assume milk chocolate is not.

Dr. Mike: Sometimes you can get dark chocolate, and then they start adding fillings in there [like] caramel fillings, and that [might] not make it vegan anymore. But pure 80 percent dark chocolate is vegan. [It] should be—check.

Is 100 percent dark chocolate the healthiest?

What Percentage of Dark Chocolate Is the Healthiest? 00:12:09

Dr. Crystal: Hands down.

Dr. Mike: You just can't eat it.

Dr. Crystal: You're poor mouth will be dry, and you'll try to find some way to create some saliva in your mouth because it will dry you out.

Dr. Mike: Try some pure cocoa. Put it in your mouth—see what you want to do with it. You're [going to] spit it out your nose, mouth, ears and everything.

Dr. Crystal: But I'll tell you this: It's great in a shake, if you're making a protein shake and you mix it with something.

Dr. Mike: Absolutely, 100 percent. [A] 100 percent dark chocolate bar—I wouldn’t do that.

[The] last one here is: Does chocolate have a downside? That’s hard to answer because it depends on what you're talking about.

Dr. Crystal: Yes, I don't want to overthink it. But how is it produced?

Dr. Mike: Well, let me tell you this.

Dr. Crystal: [Is there] anything we wouldn't want?

Dr. Mike: Well, let me ask you this.

My 90 percent—they score it so you can break it. I think one serving is three pieces. The only downside I see is [that] it's like 180 calories.

Dr. Crystal: I would say the downside, personally, is making sure you find a product that's fair trade. I’m going to social issues…

Dr. Mike: Oh, that's a good point.

Fair Trade and Ethical Considerations 00:13:32

Dr. Crystal: Maybe [a product] that's fair trade [or] organic.

Dr. Mike: I like that.

Dr. Crystal: It's a political thing, sometimes. It’s one of those [things].

Dr. Mike: It’s the same with coffee. You want fair trade.

Dr. Crystal: You want to make sure those small farmers, where this is their livelihood, [are] not being taken advantage of.

Dr. Mike: I like that. But for me personally, the only thing that makes me [nervous] is the calories. But I don't always eat three, sometimes I have one.

Dr. Crystal: If it's good dark chocolate, you don't need three. One will do the trick.

Dr. Mike: One is great. There you go—some great information about dark, milk [and] white [chocolate]. Hopefully, that was helpful.

At the end of the day, I asked, “Are all chocolates healthy?” The truth is no. I’m just going to say it: white chocolate is not.

Dr. Crystal: It's not.

Dr. Mike: I don’t know. Let’s just leave it alone.

Dr. Crystal: I was going to say it's not real chocolate. It technically comes from the cacao tree.

Dr. Mike: Dark chocolate is where the research is, and that's what we want to present—100 percent. So get some dark chocolate.

Go 90 percent right off the bat. See what you think and let Dr. Crystal know.

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Dr. Crystal: I love that, Dr. Mike.

Dr. Mike: That's at LifeExtension.com. Great show. Thank you, Dr. Crystal.

I thought this was great. So that's LiveForeverish.com [and] LifeExtension.com. I'm Dr. Mike. That’s…

Dr. Crystal: Dr. Crystal.

Dr. Mike: Thanks for listening.