Dark Chocolate v/s Green Tea

Eating chocolate to stay healthy? Well, yes! Scientists have established that there are important health benefits to be gained from drinking a glass of red table wine, so why not your favorite piece of dark chocolate? But I wouldn’t trade my morning cup of Earl Grey or Sencha just yet. For one thing, as Karen Allen points out in a report for the BBC, the amount of actual cocoa powder contained in chocolates may be quite small. Chocolates often contain other ingredients, such as saturated fats, that more than outweigh the health benefits to be gained from cocoa’s cancer-fighting chemicals.

More importantly, the Dutch researchers were not comparing chocolate to green tea, which is rich in catechins. Furthermore, evidence is mounting that scientists have only begun to discover the numerous health benefits associated with drinking green tea. Still, a cup of green tea with a piece of dark chocolate sound like a great way to begin a hectic day.

“Chocolate contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea.” In fact, that was the conclusion of a recent study by Holland’s National Institute of Public Health and Enviroment. Researchers found that chocolate – specifically dark chocolate – contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. (Catechins are the powerful anti-oxidants that fight against cancer-causing cells and help prevent heart disease). By contrast, 100 ml of black tea contains a mere 13.9 mg of catechins.

Recent clinical studies examining the effectiveness of green tea supplements were based on the assumption that 14 cups of green tea contain 400-600 mg of catechins. At the low end, that would mean each cup contains just over 28 mg per cup, while at the high end, a cup of green tea would have approximately 42 mg of catechins. So, dark chocolate may actually contain more anti-oxidant properties than green tea.

Source: www.about.com