Vitamin D in chocolate? It’s complicated…
For years, researchers have been investigating whether chocolate contains vitamins, or whether it possesses other healing powers because, you understand: wishful thinking is often the father of the idea. So when German researchers found small amounts of vitamin D2 in cocoa and chocolate, the cheers in many households probably knew no bounds…
You need vitamin D to absorb calcium from food, and it is important for the growth and maintenance of strong bones and teeth. It also plays a role in the proper functioning of your muscles and immune system. The question was: could you get it from chocolate too?
Good fungi
Well, look… Like coffee beans, cocoa beans are first fermented after harvesting before being laid out to dry in the sun. During fermentation, helpful fungi develop, just as they do, for example, during the fermentation of sauerkraut or kimchi. Good for your gut flora! When those beans then come into contact with sunlight, such a fungus can be converted into vitamin D2. And yes, the researchers found small amounts of it in chocolate, particularly dark chocolate.
Better sources
But a note of caution is in order. More research, with additional and corroborating evidence, is still lacking, which is why our own Nutrition Centre does not yet accept it as fact. One swallow does not make a summer, and unfortunately one study does not make a scientific truth. Research must always be repeated before it can be included in reliable databases.
Bummer
Martijn Katan, emeritus professor of nutrition, also often bursts the bubble when it comes to hopeful food myths. Regarding vitamin D in chocolate, he says that the origin and fermentation of cocoa beans vary, and you can never know for certain whether your individual bar contains a demonstrable amount of vitamin D. You will therefore still have to get that much-needed vitamin D(3) from oily fish such as salmon (or preferably even fish-oil tablets), as research conducted much more frequently shows.
A shame? A little. But simply enjoy all the healthy and wonderful things nature has to offer, and above all, continue to see chocolate as a mega-delicious treat on the side!
Sources: Voedingscentrum, Ortho Health Foundation, Nu.nl
Read also:
- What to eat when you’re having a f-ing terrible day
- Eat your way to happiness in these countries
- Myth or fact: beer after wine brings misery
