A heart doctor tells why he eats 100g of dark chocolate every week
SINGAPORE — Despite having a “terribly sweet tooth”, heart doctor Michael MacDonald tries to avoid consuming too many sweet and sugary treats for health’s sake. Once a week though, the 44-year-old who professes to be a “big fan of chocolate” permits himself a small bar of dark chocolate.
- Eating chocolate at least once a week is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, a new study has found
- Protective benefits may lie in its key ingredient cocoa
- Cocoa contains heart-healthy compounds such as flavonoids, an antioxidant
- The darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa content and the greater the benefits
- A heart doctor recommends consuming no more than 30g of dark chocolate a day
Senior clinical dietitian Rddhi Naidu said: “Not all forms of chocolate can be considered equally healthy.
“Processing and heating cocoa can cause it to lose its beneficial properties. Chocolate is also often treated with alkaline to reduce bitterness, which may result in up to a 60 per cent decrease in flavanol content.”
Ms Rddhi (pronounced as “rid-dee”), who practises at Arden Metabolic Centre in the Cairnhill Road area, is also the founder of Nutriology, a digital nutrition clinic.
Dr MacDonald said that the health benefits of chocolate do not depend on whether it comes from a fancy chocolatier or the supermarket. What matters is its cocoa content.
“With chocolate, I go for the darker, less sweet varieties.”
He added: “The rule of thumb is, the darker the chocolate, the higher its cocoa content, which means greater levels of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds.
“Conversely, the lighter the chocolate, the higher its fat and sugar content, which can increase risks of cholesterol accumulation, weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes.”
KNOW YOUR CHOCOLATE VARIETIES
Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate has a lower ratio of cocoa to milk solids (10 percent cocoa to 12 per cent of milk solids).
Dr MacDonald advised eating milk chocolate in limited amounts since it has more sugar and fat than cocoa, which can increase your risk of diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
A derivative of chocolate, white chocolate contains absolutely no cocoa. Made of 20 per cent cocoa butter, milk solids and a whopping 55 per cent sugar content, white chocolate is mostly sugar and fat, offering little to zero nutritional content, Dr MacDonald said.
That is why it is advisable to eat as little of it as possible, preferably none at all.
Dark chocolate
Also called semi-sweet chocolate, the experts said that dark chocolate offers the best cardio-protective effects because it contains the highest level of cocoa, flavonoids and nutritional compounds.
For it to be called “dark chocolate”, it must contain at least 35 per cent cocoa, Dr MacDonald said.
The remainder is made of a combination of cocoa butter, sugar, flavourings and milk for texture.
However, for those who wish to eat chocolate every day, he recommended choosing those with at least 70 per cent cocoa content and avoiding those that contain fillings such as fruit.
Ms Rddhi said that choosing dark chocolate of at least 70 per cent cocoa would also mean less sugar is added.
She suggested the following extra tips when buying dark chocolate:
Read the ingredient list to ensure that cocoa is listed as the first ingredient
Look for Stevia-sweetened dark chocolate. Stevia is a plant-based sweetener
Ensure there is no trans fat in the product; avoid it if the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated oil” appear in the ingredient list
If you prefer some crunch, then choose chocolates with nuts. Avoid caramel or those with fruit paste fillings.
Avoid alkalised chocolate or Dutched dark chocolate. Dutching is a method to reduce the bitter flavour, which lowers the flavanol content drastically.
WATCH THE PORTIONS
Although dark chocolate is packed with heart-healthy nutrients, Dr MacDonald said that it is essentially still “candy” because it contains sugar and moderate amounts of milk solids or saturated fat to soften its texture.
And while dark chocolate is lower in energy content than milk or white chocolate, it still contains 150 to 170 calories for each 30g serving, or about 500 to 600 calories for every 100g.
Dr MacDonald, who eats 100g of dark chocolate each week, said: “Various studies researching the effects of dark chocolate suggest that eating 20g to 30g of dark chocolate a day delivers various cardio-protective effects.
“For this reason, I recommend that adults consume no more than 30g of dark chocolate a day as it can still contribute to weight gain if eaten excessively.”
An even healthier way to reap heart health benefits is to add unsweetened cocoa powder to a lower-calorie beverage such as low-fat milk or almond milk.
Ms Rddhi suggested mixing raw unsweetened cocoa powder to smoothies, oats or chia seed puddings to create a chocolate-infused snack or drink.
Raw cocoa powder may also be sprinkled over a platter of cut fruit or berries, which helps to reduce some of its bitter taste.
OTHER HEART-HEALTHY FOOD
To keep your heart healthy, Ms Rddhi said that having a healthy diet that is high in fibre but low in saturated fats and sodium is equally paramount.
A great way to start a heart-healthy diet is to include more wholegrains, fruit and vegetables while reducing intake of deep-fried items and processed foods.
For instance, include oats into a breakfast meal and replace white rice and bread with wholegrain varieties.
Have some fruit in between meals and order at least two servings of vegetables when dining out, she said.
“Have a variety of colourful fruit and vegetables because different fruits have different types of antioxidants that can be beneficial to you. Choose plant-based foods like legumes, beans and lentils, which are good sources of protein and fibre,” Ms Rddhi said.
“Eating moderate amounts of healthy food that has unsaturated fat is also great. For example, avocados, nuts and fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, cod, and sardines). Include seeds such as flaxseeds, chia seeds or sunflower seeds for good fats and fibre.”
