This article was done in the spirit of Halloween and is dedicated to Bingo for his great idea. Thanks Paps!

Since I can remember, chocolate has always been a sinful indulgence. It was something I could only really get my hands on around Halloween. I would treasure every last Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup I collected as a child (Hell-LO! Peanut butter!!). From being taught that too much chocolate is bad to knowing that there is “death by chocolate,” how could one not associate chocolate with evil? Can anyone say Devil’s food cake?

I have some good news for you. Now, you can worship it.

How so? Chocolatedeities.com. This online company makes the different Gods of the world out of chocolate. Of this delectable idea, Tricycle Magazine: The Buddhist Review stated 'Many people worship the Buddha. Many people worship chocolate. Now you can do both at the same time.' It’s genius, right? Although being able to worship your God and eat it (Him? Allah?) too is a cool concept, we’ve got to address what made us think chocolate was bad for us in the first place and weigh it against the surprising new research that says it may be better than we thought. Then we can decide for ourselves if chocolate really is worth worshipping.

It’s interesting that one of the reasons chocolate became so popular to the Western world is because it was first used like medicine. According to the Active.com article “Chocolate as Health Food?”, in the 1500s, when Corts, the conqueror of the Aztecs, brought cocoa beans to Europe, they were used to treat anemia, fever, gout, hemorrhoids, poor digestion, depression and heart ailments.  

Now in our time chocolate has been shown to have health benefits. 2007 was a banner year for chocolate lovers as a bundle of research on the benefits of chocolate was released. Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World’s nutrition expert, summarizes the research that year best in his article “Is Chocolate Really Good for you?” “In January, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the most convincing study yet linking flavanol-rich cocoa to improved blood-vessel health. A month later, the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that Dutch men who ate the most chocolate had a 47 percent lower mortality rate over 15 years than a similar group that consumed little chocolate. In June, the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology published a special supplement on cocoa flavanols, with 17 articles about chocolate's health benefits, ranging from lower blood pressure to increased brain blood flow to better skin health (honest!). In November, independent researchers at Johns Hopkins announced a study that showed a small amount of chocolate slowed platelet clumping. Also in November, a new chocolate called CocoaVia got a lift from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, which reported that two (small) bars a day lowered LDL cholesterol in a high-cholesterol subject group by 6.7 percent. This likely resulted from the addition of plant sterol esters. Moreover, some studies suggest that chocolate helps prevent the oxidation of LDL ('bad') cholesterol and its ensuing damage to coronary arteries.”

One of the main reasons for some of these benefits is because of chocolate's flavonoids. They have the same phytochemicals found in tea and red wine. Burfoot notes that not only are the flavonoids in chocolate chock-full of potent antioxidants, but they also contain B vitamins, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

But, don’t get so excited yet. Most of this research has been funded by the big boys of the chocolate industry (such as Mars, who makes M&M’s and Snickers) and they’ve only used cocoa or chocolate with high levels of flavonoids, not the chocolate we hand out on Halloween. The candy we know is made in ways that ruin their phytochemicals. “There's also some evidence that the milk in milk chocolate (or drinking milk with dark chocolate) may interfere with the absorption of flavonoids,” says Burfoot.

Also, in order for the volunteers in the Italian study to get their blood pressure lowered, they ate 3.5 ounces of chocolate (about 500 calories) a day! Would smaller amounts do the same? No research has shown that yet. What a great excuse to eat more, though!

However, there is some serious research that has been done to show how chocolate we are used to eating can assist in heart health. Burfoot mentions “in 2004, Mary Engler, a cardiovascular physiologist at the University of California at San Francisco, published the first independent study, in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, to show that a dark-chocolate bar enhanced artery dilation. A chocolate bar with most of its healthy flavanols stripped away had no such effect. Flavanols are plant micronutrients, such as those found in tea, purple grapes, and apple skins, that can have a powerful effect on cell health. A particular cocoa flavanol, epicatechin, triggers blood vessels to release nitric oxide, which relaxes nearby muscle fibers, allowing the arteries to expand and carry more blood. ‘The evidence is absolutely compelling,’ Engler says, ‘and I believe the field is going to grow rapidly, just as we saw with the omega-3 fatty acids and their connection to heart health.’”

Even with this positive study, we can’t ignore the calorie count of this candy, which could be up to 150 calories per ounce. That’s a hefty amount for that size. In the Calorieking.com article “Chocolate: Good or Bad?”, founder and dietician Allan Borushek states ”Fifty-five percent of the calories in chocolate come from fat. In each 100 gram block of chocolate there are 30 grams of fat, or six teaspoons. This is important to consider when you're trying to lose weight or maintain your weight with a healthy, low-fat diet.”

The best option is to eat more fruits and vegetables to get the nutrients you need as well as the flavonoids just mentioned, along with an abundance of other nutrients as well. However, every food is meant for fuel, and anything can be enjoyed in moderation. There definitely is room in any athlete’s diet for chocolate. The Runner’s World article “Healthiest Chocolate for Runners” does a good job outlining the things to look for on the nutrition label to get the most health out of your chocolate. Make sure to check for:

”Percentage of cocoa: The amount of cocoa can vary from 10 percent to as high as 94. Generally, the more cocoa, the more flavanols, although processing methods can lower flavanol levels. Aim for a bar with a minimum of 35 percent cocoa.

Calories: Most chocolates contain 220 to 280 calories per 42 grams, or about 1.5 ounces, so eat sparingly.

Ingredients list: Quality chocolate is made with cocoa butter and milk fat. If vegetable oil or hydrogenated oil is included, skip it.

Fat content: Look for zero trans fat. Total fat can be as high as 20 grams per serving because the more cocoa in a bar, the more fat it will contain.” 
 
So what’s the final verdict? Chocolate is worth worshipping, but only if it is quality chocolate. If it has a high percentage of cocoa, it isn’t a huge piece, it’s made with cocoa butter and milk fat, and it has no trans fat, enjoy! Go ahead and order the humongous chocolate Buddha from Chocolatedeities.com if you so desire. Who thought God could be so tasty? Besides, is there any other food in the world that goes so well with peanut butter?

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