Going cuckoo? Trying cocoa

Chocolate, a mood lifter, can be just the thing for the shutdown blues

Dig through your pantry. Find a little chocolate. Bars, chunks, chips or cocoa powder. It could make you feel better.

That’s one of the things that Cheryl Forberg had to say about chocolate in our recent telephone chat. Forberg, a registered dietitian as well as best-selling author and chef, said chocolate cravings may seem psychological, but they are real. They are physical.

“Our nerve cells speak to us by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters,” she said. “We are probably most familiar with the feel-good messenger, serotonin. Neurotransmitters send messages from one nerve cell to another determining what we think, feel, do and eat. If serotonin is low, we crave sweets. And carbohydrate foods, pasta, bread, desserts, raise our serotonin levels, make us feel better and reduce our cravings.

“If we took a poll on highly craved favorites, chocolate would be numero uno. One creamy bite not only fulfills a longing for its rich flavor, it can satisfy a desire for ‘feel good’ chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. Chocolate’s caffeine delivers an energy burst, and its fat promotes satiety. Its taste is heavenly and hinged on memories for most of us.”

So, what about other benefits? She explained that cocoa beans contain antioxidants called flavonoids, like those found in wine. These compounds help reduce the blood’s ability to clot and this lowers the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Roasted cocoa beans yield chocolate liquor. The amount of liquor in the chocolate is the final determinant of flavonoid content.

Dark chocolates are richest in liquor (and flavonoids), while semisweet and milk chocolate have less. White chocolate has none.

“Cocoa beans are also a rich source of antioxidants,” she explained. “Of all chocolate products, cocoa powder has the highest concentration of antioxidant polyphenols. It contains nearly twice the amount found in dark chocolate bars and four times that in milk chocolate bars without added fat and sugar.”

Forberg’s words might be some of the best nutritional news ever. One of my favorite easy-to-prepare desserts combines shards of chocolate arranged on a platter with whole tangerines. The chocolate brings out the best in the bright, sweet-tart flavors of the citrus. It’s a delicious duo.