Not that you should overindulge in your appreciation for chocolate, but, nonetheless, it is still rather comforting to know that this food of the gods may have potent nutritional capabilities. In a study conducted by researchers at Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment, and published in The Lancet, scientists examined the chemical compounds in a range of foods and discovered that catechins, powerful flavonoids found in tea, are also found in chocolate. According to the study, chocolate appears to have more catechins than tea. As research on chocolate continues to be promising, it is important to note that methods used to analyze total dietary intake of flavonoids from any food item still need to be refined, and subtle bioactive differences in the composition of flavonoids, particularly in relation to their potential health benefits, remain undetermined. The potential down-side to chocolate may lie within its stearic acid content.
Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid found in beef, some dairy foods, and chocolate.
However, this does not necessarily mean that chocolate is bad because chocolate contains not only stearic acids, but also numerous other nutrients such as antioxidants. Other sources imply that stearic acid confers positive effects upon plasma lipoproteins and cholesterol when it is metabolized into oleic acid. Clearly, more research on stearic acid is needed. Some theories suggest that craving chocolate is associated with fluctuations in hormonal changes that occur just before and during the menstrual cycle, which may be the key to why women tend to be the predominant devotees of chocolate. Chocolate cravings may also indicate certain dietary deficiencies such as magnesium.