Is Chocolate the New Health Food?

The chocolate seminar, “Is Chocolate the New Health Food?” was presented by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, at the Union County Clerk’s Office North Avenue office Wednesday evening.

The chocolate seminar was conducted college lecture-hall style by Karen Ensle, a Rutgers professor. Ensle spoke to the audience of around 20 people about the history, health benefits, and cooking integration of chocolate. Throughout the seminar, samples of white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and European chocolate were distributed.

Among the health benefits Ensle highlighted are the possibilities of a small amount of chocolate in a person’s diet relating to lower blood pressure, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and overall longevity and lower mortality rates. These benefits have been shown in adult men and women, from recent high school graduates all the way through senior citizens.

Ensle emphasized that to reap such benefits, chocolate must be consumed in moderation, and must also be closer to pure cocoa than most Americans are accustomed to consuming.

"We’re not talking about the milk chocolate, the Hershey or M&Ms,” she said. “When you buy chocolate, look for 60-percent or more cocoa content. Cocoa should be the first ingredient on the label.”

For this reason, baker’s chocolate and bittersweet chocolates are the way to go, Ensle said, and popular chocolate brands have recently begun capitalizing on this fact.

“Years ago, Hershey was only making candy; now they are making chocolate in all forms. The companies are smart. They know that if people are going to buy chocolate, they want to buy what is good for them,” she said.

Ensle also took pains to emphasize that right now, the health benefits of chocolate are still part of long-term, ongoing studies, and not definitive as a substitute for modern medicine.

“A lot of people are looking for a way to get off their blood pressure medications," Ensle said. And while small amounts of high-percentage cocoa have been found to be related to lower blood pressure, “we aren’t at that point yet. We need to do more studies, and see thousands of people consistently receiving those health benefits.”

The seminar ended with a large plate of fresh, skewered strawberries and several bowls of melted chocolate varieties for dipping. Take-home material from the presentation included a recipe booklet: “Chocolate Desserts: Low Fat and Luscious,” with many of the included recipes provided by the American Heart Association.

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an outreach branch of Rutgers University; instead of teaching in classrooms, this program brings educational content that can be applied to everyday lives out into the community.

In addition to health and nutrition seminars, The Rutgers Cooperative Extension facilitates local agriculture and farming events, works with charities in the community, and cooperates with local 4-H chapters.

“The good thing about this job, as opposed to being in the classroom, is that we see the needs of the community and come up with a plan of action,” said Ensle