Antioxidants in chocolate

The appeal of chocolate is universal, but the pleasures of eating chocolate products may perhaps be tempered by their fat and sugar content. However, in a series of human feeding studies it has been shown that the high proportion of stearic acid in the cocoa butter of chocolate does not adversely affect plasma lipids. Two recent reports of antioxidant activity have increased interest in the health aspects of chocolate an in vitro low-density liposprotein (LDL) oxidation study and a short-term in vivo study. Epicatechin, the major monomeric polyphenol antioxidant in chocolate, and an extract of chocolate liquor were both found to stimulate cellular immune response in vitro. 

On a weight basis, the concentration of antioxidants in chocolate is higher than in red wine or green tea, and 20 times higher than in tomatoes. Another piece of good news for chocolate lovers is that stearic acid, the main fatty acid in chocolate, does not appear to raise blood cholesterol levels the way other saturated fatty acids do. Dark chocolate contains more than twice the level of antioxidants found in milk chocolate. Unfortunately, white chocolate contains no antioxidants. 

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