Miscellaneous Myths and Facts
about Chocolate and Confectionery
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From Chocolate Facts on Health and Nutrition for Educators and Health Professionals published by the
Chocolate Manufacturers Association and The Sweet Truth About Confectionery published by the National
Confectioners Association.
Many of the old myths about chocolate and health are crumbling under the weight of scientific fact. The once-
prevalent belief that something that tastes so good just can't be good for you has given way to a more balanced
picture of chocolate and cocoa products and their relation to health and nutrition. Here are brief reviews of
recent findings that correct common misperceptions of the effects of chocolate on health.
Myth: Confectionery is a major cause of tooth decay.
Truth: Tooth decay is primarily the result of poor oral hygiene. Dental caries are caused by any foods
containing fermentable carbohydrates that are left on the teeth too long. In fact, there are ingredients found in
chocolate products that may retard the tooth decaying process.
Myth: Chocolate is high in caffeine.
Truth: The amount of caffeine in a piece of chocolate candy is significantly lower than that in coffee, tea
or cola drinks. For instance, a 5 oz. cup of instant coffee has between 40 and 108 mg of caffeine, while a one
ounce milk chocolate bar contains only 6 mg. and many confectionery items have no caffeine at all.
Myth: Confectionery has a high fat content and will lead to weight gain.
Truth: "Candy, in moderation, can be part of low-fat eating. In fact, an occasional sweet treat
helps you stick to a healthy eating plan." - Annette B. Natow, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Fat
Counter and The Fat Attack Plan.
Myth: If you're fitness minded, confectionery is not for you.
Truth: confectionery can be part of today's active, healthy lifestyle. It all depends on what else you eat,
how much you eat, and the level of exercise you maintain. Paul LaChance, professor of food sciences at
Rutgers University states, "It is misleading to say that confections are bad and should not be enjoyed. As long
as a person exercises regularly and eats a balanced diet, confections are an acceptable source of calories."
Cholesterol
Q. What is the level of cholesterol in a 1.65 oz. bar of milk chocolate?
A. The American Heart Association recommends that daily cholesterol intake not exceed 300 milligrams. A
chocolate bar is actually low in cholesterol. A 1.65 ounce bar contains only 12 milligrams. A one ounce piece of
cheddar cheese contains 30 milligrams of cholesterol - more than double the amount found in a chocolate bar.
Sodium
Q. What is the level of sodium in a one ounce milk chocolate bar?
A. According to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the maximum
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for sodium is 1,100 to 3,300 milligrams daily. A 1.5 ounce milk
chocolate bar contains 41 milligrams, while the same size dark chocolate bar contains only 5 milligrams. On the
other hand, a 1.5 oz. serving of iced devil's food cake has a whopping 241 milligrams - many times more than
chocolate bars.
Fat
Q. How much fat is there in a 1.5 oz chocolate bar?
A. Health professionals and nutritionists suggest that calories from fat account for no more than 30% of your
daily caloric intake. A 1.5 ounce milk chocolate bar contains 13 grams of fat; a dark chocolate bar of the same
weight contains 12.
Acne: No Link to Chocolate
Over the past two decades, clinical studies have exonerated chocolate as a cause or exacerbating factor in the
development or persistence of acne. In fact, many dermatologists doubt that diet plays any significant role in
acne.
At the University of Missouri, student volunteers with mild to moderate acne each consumed nearly 20 ounces
of chocolate over a 48 hour period. Examination of lesions on the fifth day of the test and again on the seventh
day showed no new lesions other than those that might be expected based upon the usual variations the subjects
had exhibited during several weeks of observation prior to the test.
In a research study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, a group of 65 subjects were fed bars
of chocolate containing nearly ten times the amount of chocolate liquor as a normal 1.5 ounce commercially
available chocolate bar. A control group ate a bar that tasted like chocolate, but actually contained no chocolate
liquor. At the conclusion of the test, the average acne condition of those eating the chocolate was virtually
identical to that of the controls, who had eaten the imitation bars.
Chocolate and Allergy
It is possible for a person to be allergic to any food, including chocolate. But recent evidence suggests that
allergy to chocolate may be relatively rare.
The actual incidence of allergic sensitivity to chocolate is far less common than positive reactions to skin
scratch tests would seem to indicate. In at least one double-blind study to determine the correlation positive skin
tests for chocolate allergy and the manifestation of clinically observable symptoms, researchers could find only
one patient out of a possible 500, who showed both a positive response to the skin test and an objective clinical
reaction after eating chocolate.
To confirm food allergy or food sensitivity, a "challenge" of the food in question is administered. To yield
accurate results, the challenge should be conducted under double-blind conditions; that is, neither the
investigator nor the patient knows in advance whether the food administered is the suspected in substance or a
placebo. This allows for objective evaluation of clinical symptoms.
According to S. Allan Bock, M.D., a researcher in food allergy at the National Jewish Center for Immunology
and Respiratory Medicine, evaluation of hundreds of patients at that institution has shown no confirmed allergic
reaction to chocolate during double-blind challenges.
Caffeine and Theobromine
Caffeine and theobromine belong to a group of substances known as methyixanthines. Caffeine occurs naturally
in coffee, tea, cola and, to some degree, cocoa beans. Itmay also be added to cola drinks and is a component of
certain over4he-counter and prescription medications. Theobromine is found in cocoa beans; tea contains trace
amounts.
Caffeine
The amount of caffeine ingested when people eat chocolate in normal quantities is very small. One ounce of
milk chocolate, for example, contains 6 mg of caffeine, little more than the amount found in a cup of
decaffeinated coffee. Moreover, there have been no reports in the scientific literature of any health problems
among children or adults as a result of the caffeine consumed in chocolate.
Theobromine
Although theobromine is chemically related to caffeine, it lacks caffeine's stimulant effect on the central
nervous system (CNS). In fact, theobromine is virtually inert as a CNS stimulant.
Despite the weakness of theobromine's effect on the brain, many people have mistakenly assumed that it is
effective in warding off fatigue and sleep, especially when it is consumed in combination with caffeine, as in
chocolate.
To test this assumption, researchers compared the effect of caffeine, theobromine and a placebo in a clinical
study. They found that theobromine administered in a dose of 500 mg (the amount of theobromine in
approximately 11 ounces of milk chocolate consumed in one sitting) did not increase pulse rate significantly
more than the placebo. Caffeine, when compared to theobromine and the placebo, produced significant CNS
stimulation.
In a double-blind clinical study, subjects ingested measured quantities of caffeine and theobromine, separately
and together, at random. Caffeine altered the subjects own estimates of the time it took to fall asleep, as well as
the soundness of sleep, in a dose-dependent fashion. A dose of 300 mg of theobromine, however, had no
detectable effect on sleep. When administered in combination with caffeine, theobromine neither increased nor
decreased the sleep effects of caffeine.
Dental Caries
Tooth decay has become less of a problem for American children over the last 25 years. Between 1960 and
1980 the incidence of cavities dropped by 50 percent. today, one-third of all Americans of college age have
never had a single cavity, thanks largely to fluoride delivered in water systems, toothpastes and professional
fluoride treatments.
Fluoride, good oral hygiene, and professional check-ups and prophylactic treatment are key to minimizing the
incidence of tooth decay. Diet is another factor.
It is widely accepted that all foods containing "fermentable carbohydrate" have the potential to contribute to
caries formation. Fermentable carbohydrate is present in most starches and all sugars, including those that
occur naturally in foods and those added in processed foods. The frequency and duration of tooth exposure to
fermentable carbohydrate have been identified as a factor in caries.
Although chocolate contains fermentable carbohydrates, a number of dental research studies suggest that
chocolate may be less apt to promote tooth decay than has been traditionally believed.
Research at the Forsyth Dental Center in Boston has shown that chocolate has the ability to offset acid-
producing potential of the sugar it contains. Acid, produced by certain oral bacteria that digests, or “ferment,”
sugars, may damage tooth enamel and cause decay.
Other theories have been advanced to explain the fact that chocolate appears to be less cariogenic than its
fermentable carbohydrate content would seem to indicate. In a study conducted at the Eastman Dental Center,
certain chocolate products tested were found to be among the snack foods contributing least to tooth decay.
The researchers reported that milk chocolate's protein, calcium and phosphate content may provide protective
effects on tooth enamel. In addition, because of its natural fat content, chocolate clears the mouth relatively
faster than other confections; this is important because the time fermentable carbohydrate remains in contact
with tooth surfaces has a bearing on the food's cariogenic potential.
Weight Control
Contrary to the popular stereotype, most overweight people do not eat excessive amounts of cake, cookies,
confections or other foods containing sugar. Their sugar intake tends, in fact, to be below average.
More important in controlling weight is the total number of calories consumed each day and the amount of
energy expended in physical activity. Overweight children, for example, are generally less active than those of
normal weight; thus they may remain obese even when their caloric intake is reasonable or even limited.
Moreover, many people overestimate the calories in chocolate. A 1.5 ounce milk chocolate bar contains
approximately 220 calories, low enough to incorporate into a weight control diet. The occasional chocolate
confection may also reduce the possibility of severe bingeing, which can occur as a result of feeling deprived of
highly satisfying foods such as chocolate.