The chocolate diet worked on mice – can it work for humans too?

Researchers at Penn State University say that cocoa powder could potentially help those suffering liver damage due to obesity.

Nutritionists already know that cocoa, the primary ingredient in chocolate, has relatively high levels of fiber, iron and antioxidants — despite the fact that it’s usually mixed with large amounts of sugar, a major factor in weight gain and bad health.

The study, which gave chocolate to high-fat-fed mice, aimed to facilitate weight loss as well as determine how obese individuals can improve their overall health, particularly in terms of non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, which affects more than 3 million Americans per year.

“While it is typically considered an indulgence food because of its high sugar and fat content, epidemiological and human-intervention studies have suggested that chocolate consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardio-metabolic diseases, including stroke, coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes,” lead study author Joshua Lambert, a professor of food science at Penn’s College of Agricultural Sciences, said.

“So, it made sense to investigate whether cocoa consumption had an effect on non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, which is commonly associated with human obesity,” Lambert said.

The findings, which were published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, revealed that by supplementing cocoa powder in their diets, the mice gained weight at a rate 21% lower than those who did not receive doses of cocoa. They also had lower spleen weights — an indicator of reduced inflammation.

After eight weeks of chocolate supplementation, those mice showed 28% less fat in their livers compared to control mice, 56% lower levels of oxidative stress and 75% lower levels of damage to the liver’s DNA — all of which contribute to inflammation, cancer and other health concerns.

“Doing the calculations, for people it works out to about 10 tablespoons of cocoa powder a day,” Lambert said. “Or, if you follow the directions on the Hershey’s box of cocoa powder, that’s about five cups of hot cocoa a day.”

Lambert suggests eating low or no-sugar cocoa instead of high-calorie snack foods.

“This exchange is potentially beneficial, especially in combination with a healthy overall diet and increased physical activity,” Lambert said.

“If you go to the gym and work out, and your reward is you go home and have a cup of cocoa, that may be something that helps get you off the couch and moving around,” he added.