Holy Cacao! Could chocolate be good for digestion?

Now this is what we all want to hear, right? Another reason why chocolate is good for us!

Especially those of us that feel like we only need to eat a lettuce leaf in order to get bloated and gassy. We want to know that putting that piece of chocolate in our mouth is not going to confirm the adage ‘death by chocolate’ (or at least ‘death to social grace’ that will occur when the gas starts releasing). Anyway, tangent aside, here it is – a reason why chocolate might be good for digestive health.

Cacao beans, from which chocolate is made, contain natural substances called flavanols. These flavanols are not readily absorbed by the small intestine, so they travel through to the large intestine, or bowel. Here they can be used for food by resident bacteria. How is this helpful, you may ask? Well, the resident bacteria are our good friends, the probiotics that keep our digestion functioning well. And there has been some research to prove that our little bacterial buddies quite enjoy a munch on cacao flavanols from our good friend, chocolate.

A recent randomised, controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention study on 22 adults found the consumption of higher amounts of cacao flavanols led to higher amounts of probiotic bacteria in the faeces. Researchers found significantly larger bifidobacterial and lactobacilli populations (the good guys), but significantly decreased clostridia counts (the bad guys). Furthermore, it appeared that cacao flavanols reduced the presence of inflammation, also.

So, next time you consider popping that piece of chocolate in your mouth, consider that, in moderation, it may just be doing you some good!

References available upon request