Reducing depression and blood pressure, increasing cognition and blood flow, staving off dementia and Alzheimer's. These are just a few more magic tricks performed by the amazing food that is cacao.
Listening to a Mel Robbins podcast this week, I was introduced to her guest, Dr. Daniel Amen, a man called "America's Most Popular Psychiatrist."
Though for the most part I don't concern myself with what appeals to the masses, Dr. Amen -- a bestselling author, brain expert, and the founder of Amen Clinics (dispersed throughout the U.S.) -- had many interesting things to say. (And he seems like a pretty cool guy.)
Dr. Amen spoke about how best to keep our brains healthy, presenting a lot of information in a short period of time.
For example, he denounces blue light from electronic screens before bedtime, suggesting instead that we pick up a book and read.
He tells us to watch out for too much alcohol and bad food, which wreak havoc on our very important organ made up of fascinating gray matter.
He gives specific instructions on how to breathe for relaxation and optimal brain health, doing the 4-1.5-8-1.5 method. That is, inhale gradually and steadily for four seconds, calmly hold your breath for one-and-a-half seconds, exhale slowly for eight seconds, and pause for one and a half more. Then repeat a few times, doing this throughout the day. (As he demonstrated over the airwaves, I practiced. It feels good.)
Toward the end of the podcast, Dr. Amen highlights his go-to brain elixir -- a potent hot chocolate made with ground raw cacao (Theobroma cacao) -- and a concoction he enjoys daily.
Of course my ears perked up.
I ADORE chocolate, eat and drink the stuff, and worship most anything made of the substance.
During family sojourns to the ice cream parlor, when I was finally old enough to verbally state my ice cream preference out of 31 enticing flavors, chocolate fudge was my first choice. After licking the cone, cocoa-colored rings formed chocolate "moustaches" that encircled my mouth. My siblings teased me, but I still ordered the dark.
My first bank checks were adorned with the the phrase "I need chocolate" imprinted across the front. (My checkbook cover looked like a candy bar.)
In college, the subject of a lengthy oratory in speech class was discussing the complex chemical properties of chocolate.
On birthdays, if a cake isn't chocolate, it's hard to conceive why not.
After eating salads, I crave chocolate. (Why?)
In 2018, I realized a lifelong dream of making chocolates (and sell them whenever a like-minded chocolate lover comes along to buy)*. Licking the spoon after a batch has never been tastier.
There's rarely a time when there is no edible chocolate in my house, whether it be in raw cacao form, cocoa (different from cacao!), wrapped around a cluster of coconut, or contained in a candy bar or cookie.
Don't ever let anyone say chocolate is bad for you.
The recipe for Dr. Amen's healthful drink is below, but for now, let's talk about more reasons why chocolate is good for you (besides its very pleasant taste).
What is cacao?
"Cacao" comes from the Latin name for the plant Theobroma cacao. Theobroma means "food of the gods"; cacao is a variation of the word Mesoamericans used to name the tree.
Cacao can refer to the pods that hold the precious cacao beans -- which are dried, roasted, and ground to make "raw" cacao, or mixed with other ingredients to make cocoa, cocoa butter, chocolate and other substances. The word cacao can also refer to the tree itself.
There is a difference between cacao and cocoa. Cacao is the raw ingredient; cocoa can contain sugar, oils, and other additives. Cacao in its pure state as beans (or ground beans) offers the most health benefits for our brains and other organs.
100% dark chocolate -- the healthiest form of the superfood -- is made of nothing other than cacao beans. Cocoa butter (the fat from the cacao beans) or plant lecithin is added to the cacao to refine and make it smooth. Dark chocolate with lower percentages of cacao contains more cocoa butter, lecithin and some sugar to cut the bitterness.
Falling in love, with chocolate
Those of us that enjoy eating chocolate know it makes us feel good. In part, this is because the chemical compounds in chocolate replicate the feeling of falling in love.
According to Dr. Amen, cacao boosts a neurochemical the brain produces when we are feeling amorous, and one of these chemicals is phenylethylamine (PEA). PEA not only releases feel-good endorphins in the brain, but when lacking, it is believed to be associated with mental health disorders such as ADD and ADHD. PEA may also be a safe alternative for the treatment of depression. In other words, eat chocolate to ease your sadness and help you focus.
Another beneficial chemical found in dark chocolate and raw cacao is serotonin, a mood-boosting neurotransmitter. Low serotonin can increase the risk of depression and plays a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly.
Looking to simply feel happier? Eat a little dark chocolate. It is proven to fight the blues.
"According to a 2019 study in the journal Depression and Anxiety, people who consumed any amount of dark chocolate during two 24-hour periods were 70% less likely to report symptoms of depression than those who ate no chocolate. Among the chocolate eaters, the 25% who ate most of it were the least likely to say they experienced depressive symptoms." (www.amenclinics.com)
I myself feel more positive after eating a couple of homemade dark chocolates. It may be a temporary fix, but it's a tasty one.
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Literally "Brain Food"
Different studies have shown that consuming cacao leads to improvement in cognition, processing speed, and working memory in the short and long term.
Chocolate and its serotonin component play a role in the deterrence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. Older adults with cognitive impairment can find improvement in mental functioning when the substance is consumed regularly.
Additionally, cacao contains stimulants that include caffeine and theobromine, a key reason why the dark stuff can improve brain function in the short term.
Chocolate gets the juices flowing
With its high flavanol content, cacao improves blood flow to the brain. (Flavanols are anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral chemical compounds found in various fruits, vegetables and plants.) Increased blood flow does wonders for the human body; when we eat dark chocolate, we experience increased attention and verbal learning, among other perks.
Contrarily, decreased blood flow to the brain -- seen in brain imaging studies of certain patients -- contributes to many detrimental conditions -- including "depression, suicide, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADD/ADHD, traumatic brain injury, hoarding, murder, substance abuse, seizure activity, and more" (www.amenclinics.com).
One-twenty over eighty
Along with increased blood flow, cacao also improves the health of blood vessels, and it has the ability the lower blood pressure.
High blood pressure -- or "hypertension" -- causes many health problems and extensive damage to the body. The brain is no exception to the harm caused by this stress. Risks of stroke or TIAs (transient-ischemic attacks or "mini-strokes") can be prevalent. Good news: eating more dark chocolate can lower your bp and help reduce the risk of blood clots to the brain.
(My mother -- who suffered from hypertension leading to TIAs and eventually a fatal stroke -- was warned not to consume chocolate because it compounded the effects of her blood-thinning medicine. Given the choice, I'd take the chocolate. It comes from nature, tastes good, and isn't made in a laboratory. Cheaper, too.)
Flavanols in cacao bring about an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.
Certain mental health issues have also been directly related to inflammation. Among these are depression and personality disorders. High levels of inflammation cause a decrease in motivation and an increase in suicidal behavior, activating parts of the brain that feel social rejection and fear. Amazingly, chocolate can counteract those threatening conditions.
It's true. Chocolate is very good for you.
As you can see, cacao is one of the best foods you can consume. The research shows that dark, sugar- and additive-free chocolate delivers substantial health benefits.
And though science tells us that dark chocolate offers many benefits, exercise moderation and caution. Too much of the good stuff -- like anything -- will make you sick, or otherwise. (A chocolate-maker can vouch for that.) Dr. Amen recommends no more than an ounce of at least 70% cacao per day. Make sure you're eating dark chocolate, and organic, fair trade chocolate is preferable...for the environment, for farmers, and to inhibit child or slave labor.
Dr. Amen's Brain-Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe
- 16 ounces unsweetened vanilla-flavored organic almond milk (available at Costco)
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground raw cacao (my favorite available at https://amzn.to/3P5WFza)
- 1 dropperful chocolate-flavored stevia (available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3snPcTm)
Instructions: Heat the milk almost to boiling in a saucepan. Pour into your favorite large mug. Stir in the cacao and stevia. Enjoy!
Want to learn more about your brain? Check out Dr. Amen's brain assessment at https://brainhealthassessment.com/assessment.
Sources:
"6 Proven Brain Benefits of Chocolate" (www.amenclinics.com/blog)
"7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate" (www.healthline.com/nutrition)
"High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension's effects on your body" (www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions)
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