Healthy chocolate — Dream or reality?

Healthy chocolate — Dream or reality?
By Mayo Clinic staff

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Original Article:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-chocolate/AN02060/?utm_source=FeaturedTopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HouseCall&pubDate=February%208,%202010
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With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Biography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.

A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.

She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.

Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.

She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Healthy chocolate — Dream or reality?Can chocolate be good for my health?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Healthy chocolate sounds like a dream come true, but chocolate hasn't gained the status of health food quite yet. Still, chocolate's reputation is on the rise, as a growing number of studies suggest that it can be a heart-healthy choice.

Chocolate and its main ingredient, cocoa, appear to reduce risk factors for heart disease. Flavanols in cocoa beans have antioxidant effects that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. Flavanols also help lower blood pressure and improve vascular function. Dark chocolate contains more flavanols than does milk chocolate. One caveat: The evidence for the healthy benefits of flavanol-rich chocolate comes mostly from short-term and uncontrolled studies. More research will be needed to confirm chocolate's role in heart health.

In the meantime, if you want to add chocolate to your diet, do so in moderation. Why? Most commercial chocolate has ingredients that add fat, sugar and calories. And too much can contribute to weight gain, a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Choose dark chocolate with cocoa content of 65 percent or higher. Limit yourself to no more than 3 ounces (85 grams) a day, which is the amount shown in studies to be helpful. Because this amount may provide up to 450 calories, you may want to cut calories in other areas or step up the exercise to compensate.

Next question
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Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet

Water: How much should you drink every day?

Nutrition Facts: An interactive guide to food labels

Added sugar: Don't get sabotaged by sweeteners

Sodium: Are you getting too much?

Food pyramid: An option for better eating

Artificial sweeteners: A safe alternative to sugar?

Alcohol use: Why moderation is key

Caffeine: How much is too much?

Dietary fats: Know which types to choose

Alkaline water: Better than plain water?

Calorie calculator

Slide show: 10 great health foods for eating well

Energy drinks: Do they really boost energy?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful?

Nutrition rating system: What's behind the new food labels?

Multigrain vs. whole grain: Which is healthier?

Yerba mate: Is it safe to drink?

Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?

Coffee and health: What does the research say?

Underweight? See how to add pounds healthfully

High-fiber foods

Diet soda: Is it bad for you?

Grape juice: Same heart benefits as wine?

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Phenylalanine in diet soda: Is it harmful?

Healthy diet: End the guesswork with these nutrition guidelines

Water softeners: How much sodium do they add?

High-fructose corn syrup: What are the concerns?

Low-sodium diet: Why is processed food so salty?

Stevia: Is it available in the United States?

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Low-sodium diet

Low-sodium diet: Why is processed food so salty?Why do processed foods contain so much sodium?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Salt (sodium chloride) helps prevent spoiling by drawing moisture out of food, so bacteria can't grow. Salt also kills existing bacteria that might cause spoiling.

At one time, salting was one of the only ways to preserve food. Although that's not the case today, salt remains a common ingredient in many processed foods. Salt makes soups more savory, reduces dryness in crackers and pretzels, and increases sweetness in cakes and cookies. Salt also helps disguise metallic or chemical aftertastes in products such as soft drinks.

For otherwise healthy adults, the American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day. That's about 1 teaspoon of table salt — and what you may find in an average amount of processed foods every day. If you have high blood pressure or certain other chronic conditions, you're black, or you're older than age 50, your doctor may recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg a day.

To reduce sodium in your diet:

Eat more fresh foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish and unprocessed grains.
Read product labels for sodium content. As much as possible, opt for low-sodium products or products without added salt.
Select unsalted nuts, seeds, pretzels and other snacks.
Use herbs and spices — rather than salt — to flavor your food.

Energy density and weight loss

Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories
Choosing foods that are less concentrated with calories — meaning you get a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories — can help you lose weight and control your hunger.
By Mayo Clinic staff

Feel full on fewer calories. It sounds like a diet gimmick. But in reality, the concept of energy density can indeed help you feel satisfied with fewer calories. In fact, well planned weight-loss diets, such as The Mayo Clinic Diet, use this concept to help you lose weight and keep it off long term.

Energy density: Volume versus calories
All foods have a certain number of calories within a given amount (volume). Some foods, such as desserts, candies and processed foods, are high in energy density. This means that a small volume of that food has a large number of calories.

Alternatively, some foods — such as vegetables and fruits — have low energy density. These foods provide a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories.

Three factors play an important role in what makes food less calorie packed and more filling:

Water. Many fruits and vegetables are high in water, which provides volume but not calories. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water and has just 38 calories in a half-fruit serving. Carrots are about 88 percent water and have only 52 calories in 1 cup.
Fiber. High-fiber foods — such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains — not only provide volume, but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer.
Fat. Most fruits and vegetables do not contain a lot of fat. Fat raises energy density. One teaspoon of butter contains almost the same number of calories as 2 cups of raw broccoli.

Your best food choices
Changing lifestyle habits is never easy, and creating an eating plan using this concept is no exception. The first step is knowing which foods to choose.

Vegetables. Most vegetables — salad greens, asparagus, green beans, broccoli and zucchini, for example — are low in calories but high in volume.
Fruits. Practically all types of fruit fit into a healthy diet. But some fruits are better choices than others are. Whole fresh, frozen and canned fruits without added sugar are better options than fruit juices and dried fruits, which are concentrated sources of natural sugar and therefore have a higher calorie content.
Carbohydrates. Most carbohydrates are either grains or made from grains, such as cereal, rice, bread and pasta. The best type is whole grains because they're higher in fiber and other important nutrients. Examples include whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain cereal.
Protein and dairy. These include food from both plant and animal sources. The best choices are foods that are high in protein but low in fat and calories, such as legumes (beans, peas and lentils, which are also good sources of fiber), fish, skinless white-meat poultry, fat-free dairy products and egg whites.
Eat sweets and high-fat foods in moderation because many of these foods are high in calories but low in volume.

Make it work for you
Starting a healthy diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains makes room in your diet for some of your favorite foods in small quantities: a piece of chocolate cake or a small scoop of ice cream, for example. When you're not feeling desperately hungry and deprived, as you might on some diets, you can enjoy a small portion of dessert without guilt.

Here are ideas to make this eating plan work for you:

Increase the ratio of fruits and vegetables in your meals. For example, add blueberries to your cereal in the morning. Or top your pasta with sauteed vegetables and tomato sauce. Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the serving size of vegetables.
Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad. You may find some new tastes you love that fit within your eating plan.
Start with soup or salad. Begin lunch or dinner with a broth-based, vegetable-filled soup or a large salad with a small amount of low-fat or fat-free dressing. These foods take longer to eat and curb your hunger. Next, serve whole grains, an extra portion or two of vegetables, and a small serving of lean protein for your main course.
By eating larger portions of foods less packed with calories, you squelch those hunger pangs, take in fewer calories and feel better about your meal, which contributes to how satisfied you feel overall