Despite the common misconception that lowering your overall cholesterol is associated with being healthy, there is a good form of cholesterol, HDL, that you want to maintain at a high level. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is known as the "good" or "healthy" cholesterol, while low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is the "bad" cholesterol. A good way to remember is to think of the "H" in HDL standing for "high" and the "L" in LDL standing for "low."
Power in Phenols
The "Yale-New Haven Nutrition Advisor" cites research on chocolate and cholesterol that was conducted by K Kondo, R Hirano, A Matsumoto, O Igarashr, and H Ltahura and published in the "Lancet" in November 1996. According to this research, cocoa phenols helped prevent LDL cholesterol from escalating into plaque buildup in the arteries. Additionally, the "Journal of Nutrition" published a study conducted by Seigo Baba and researchers that attributed the polyphenolic content in cocoa powder to the lowered LDL cholesterol and elevated HDL cholesterol observed in participants.
Effect of Antioxidants
In 2001, Wan, et al, conducted a study to evaluate the effect of cocoa powder and dark chocolate, rich in catechins and procyanidins, on serum antioxidant capacity and several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including LDL oxidative susceptibility, serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, and prostaglandin concentrations. When compared with following an average American diet, people who followed a cocoa powder-dark chocolate-rich diet showed 4 percent increases in HDL cholesterol levels.
Significance of Cocoa
In 2004, "Free Radical Biology & Medicine" published a study conducted by the Research Institute of Public Health at the University of Kuopio that tested the effects of a long-term chocolate intake, with varying concentrations of polyphenols, on cholesterol for 45 healthy volunteers. The participants who were given the dark chocolate raised their HDL cholesterol by 11.4 percent, and those who consumed the chocolate with the highest polyphenol content raised their serum HDL cholesterol by 13.7 percent. It is also important to note that the group that consumed white chocolate, which has no cocoa content, actually lowered its HDL cholesterol by 2.9 percent. Therefore, the researchers concluded that the polyphenol-rich cocoa is effective in improving good cholesterol.
Saturated Fat
According to the "Better Health Channel," about half of the saturated fat content in chocolate is actually a healthier form called stearic acid. The Better Health Channel states that stearic acid appears to have no effect on cholesterol even though saturated fats typically raise total cholesterol. Still, the Better Health Channel advises that people intending on lowering their cholesterol by restricting their saturated fat consumption could still eat chocolate "on the odd occasion," but should be aware of the other ingredients in chocolate that might have harmful effects on cholesterol.
Considerations
In May 2010, a literature review of short-term research from eight previous trials demonstrating the impact of cocoa on cholesterol was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Although the research did not focus on good cholesterol, it is important to note that despite numerous prior studies, researchers Lei Jia, Xuan Liu, Yong Yi Bai, Shao Hua Li, Kai Sun, Chen He and Rutai Hui found no conclusive evidence that chocolate can improve cholesterol in healthy subjects. In fact, the researchers found that chocolate is effective only for reducing cholesterol at low doses and only for people who are already at risk for cardiovascular disease.