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Do you like chocolate? Dark chocolate, in particular, contains antioxidants, including flavonoids and polyphenols, which have a host of benefits.
I’m a big fan of dark chocolate; the darker, the better (at least 70% cacao). You go too low on that percentage, and you’ll eat the whole bar. You want the rate to be high enough that 1–2 pieces are enough to satisfy you.
It would seem that dark chocolate is all upside. Not so fast, according to a recent article from Consumer Reports that found non-trivial levels of cadmium and lead in all 28 chocolate bars tested, including some of my favorite brands! How is this happening?
Cacao plants take up cadmium from the soil, and more cadmium accumulates as the plants grow. This process is similar to heavy metal contamination in other foods. Lead gets into the cacao beans after they are harvested. The lead is typically found on the outer shell of the beans and was higher after the beans were dried in the sun for days.
You might say that you’ll give up chocolate. Problem solved, right? Unfortunately, chocolate is only one example of toxic heavy metals contaminating our environment.
Types and effects of heavy metals in our environment
- Arsenic — Found in water, food…
