Does chocolate contain mold?
Chocolate may contain varying amounts of fungus and mold.
When chocolate comes up on your report, are you asking, “Does chocolate contain mold? Is that why it is an energetic sensitivity?”
A lot of articles or factual information focuses on the white “bloom” that forms on chocolate from temperature changes. That bloom does not mean that your chocolate contains mold. Temperature changes cause the cocoa butter to melt and separate from the other ingredients. Excess moisture my cause crystallization, which make the chocolate look white, or speckled in appearance (1).
Moldiness of chocolate, the question “Does chocolate contain mold?” is often debated in the environmental toxin community, and in our consultations.
If chocolate contains mold, how does it get in there? Chocolate contains fungus due to fermentation needed in the processing.
While chocolate has health benefits, surprisingly, it may also contain fungus & mold. If you think you are suffering from mold toxicity, should chocolate be off your list of foods? What about the many benefits of chocolate, including the magnesium it may carry and it’s antioxidants?
And we can’t deny the emotional part of chocolate, especially in the month of February! Giving chocolate is special, and romantic. Children and adults alike, love to receive chocolate.
Having a bit of chocolate IS delicious and satisfying.
If you suffer from mold toxicity or mold illness, then you may be worried about consuming your favorite snack. We thought it was time to explore the benefits, and the disadvantages, of February’s signature candy.
If you are a practitioner, and want know how mold illness affects your clients overall health, our Certification Course will help you decipher if mold is an issue for your clients!
In this post we’ll touch on:
- The nutritional benefits of chocolate.
- Why does chocolate contain mold?
- What kinds of molds are in chocolate?
- Are there dangers of eating chocolate that contain mold?
- Should you avoid eating chocolate?
Nutritional Benefits of Chocolate
Whether or not chocolate contains mold, it might be a better choice for your teeth, and body, than other sweet foods, like candy. Why?
Chocolate is actually rich in minerals and vitamins, including magnesium, iron and copper, which are important for keeping our bodies healthy. These minerals may show up as imbalanced on a Full Scan, Balancing Scan or Awareness Scan.
Including a variety of foods in your diet, supporting your digestive system for absorption, and focusing on cellular support, are a few ways to get these minerals into your body.
Yes, that might include some dark chocolate too.
Chocolate is not sticky, like dried fruit, or sticky candy, and the risk of developing cavities is lower, with foods like chocolate, or ice cream. The amount of sugar in chocolate varies, and you can choose darker chocolate, with enhanced flavor like chili pepper or sea salt, over milk chocolate, which contains more sugar.
Chocolate also contains some essential B Vitamins that are great for your brain health and energy levels. B Vitamins might be lower in vegans, and in people going through a lot of physical or emotional stress. Can you substitute chocolate for your Vitamin B Liposomal Supplement? Sadly, no. It takes one cup of dark chocolate to get 20% of your daily Vitamin B intake.
But that doesn’t mean a little dark chocolate doesn’t satisfy you AND give you nutrients!
Another really important “nutrient” is antioxidants, which are also abundant in dark chocolate. Antioxidants are a broad category of nutrients that help in your body’s detox processes, among other things. You would see these listed as Vitamin P, or Beta Carotene on your report!
They help to combat the oxidative process our bodies naturally go through, or that increases with certain health conditions and even sleep apnea.
Dark chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, or PEA. One study showed that this may increase attention, and help lift mood (2). While this study is small, and in no way should be taken as a “treatment” for mood disorders, we included it for interest. And exercise may also increase PEA. You can read an article that discusses the small study here.
L-phenylalanine is the natural form of phenylalanine, and this gets converted into tyrosine, an amino acid. Tyrosine makes dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. This can be depleted with stress.
It sounds like chocolate chemically, and emotionally, produces good feelings, doesn’t it?
Have you heard of flavonols? Flavonols belong to a class of plant compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids are in plants, and there are over 4000 different types. These molecules may be antioxidant, antimicrobial, liver protective, encourage circulation, and also fight inflammation (3).
Then, there is caffeine. There is caffeine in chocolate, about 12 mg per ounce of dark chocolate, and less in milk chocolate. For some of us, the caffeine in chocolate, and coffee, helps us focus. Some of you may have chocolate and caffeine come up on your report. This brings up a few downsides to chocolate.
The Downside of Chocolate
Besides containing mold, the caffeine in chocolate (which could help you focus), can also make you jittery, if you have too much. Many people are sensitive to caffeine, and need to avoid it later in the day or altogether. Caffeine sensitivity can be for many reasons, including stress in the liver.
Your liver is responsible for processing caffeine, through the family of enzymes called cytochrome P450 enzymes. There are genetic and non genetic factors to clearing caffeine from your system. Not everyone clears caffeine the same way. If you smoke, you clear caffeine quicker. When you quit, you may find yourself more sensitive to caffeine.
Chocolate can be high in sugar, waxes, and certain kinds of fat, that are not beneficial. There are some beneficial fats, and some that increase the risk of heart disease. This is why the quality of the chocolate can affect the nutrient value. There are many different qualities of chocolate!
Chocolate has been indirectly linked to skin issues, (or the integumentary system), like acne. This may be because of blood sugar and possible hormone imbalances. Some migraine sufferers find that chocolate is a trigger to those headaches as well.
With ANY suspected sensitivity, track the time of consumption of the food in question, write down how your body feels and reacts to the food, to see any patterns that may show up, in the foods you consume. You may see some emotional patterns as well!
How Does Mold Get Into Chocolate?
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which are harvested from the pods of the cacao tree. When chocolate is produced, the process involves opening the cacao pod. In the pod are beans. Some people think that poor hygiene in processing influences mold in chocolate, but it is the processing that may encourage mold or fungus.
The beans are piled in mounds or boxes and a natural fermentation process takes place (4).
The flavor of the chocolate develops right from the beginning and it involves fermentation of yeast and bacteria in this process. The product is then left to dry, in the sun, to reduce moisture (4).
From here, beans go to be roasted, and they produce cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The solids are ground into a paste called chocolate liquor, which is mixed with milk, sugar, vanilla and lecithin to form the chocolate we know.
Mold is a living organism, and if you are a holistic health practitioner, learning about mold is imperative if you work with any type of detoxification protocol.
Mold can thrive in warm, damp conditions. Mold spores are microscopic particles that live in soil, decaying plants and even in human and animal hair. It makes sense that molds and fungus accumulate in food products as well! There are SO many different molds and fungus in the world. Some are more pathogenic than others.
What Kinds of Molds are in Chocolate?
The two most common kinds of molds that are in chocolate are Aspergillus and Penicillium. Aspergillus is found in all kinds of grains, fruits and nuts. It can also be found in home furnishings and even in wallpapers. Penicillium is a common mold that is found in all types of food, including peanuts and cheese.
These molds are often found in products like peanuts and peanut butter, dried beans and peas, grains, coffee, spices, milk, cheese and even beer. The presence of these molds in these foods doesn’t always cause health problems. However, everyone is different, and the immune system acts differently in each person, depending upon genetics, and the branches of the immune system, that may be off balance.
If you suspect you have an internal fungal overgrowth, like candida, limiting the foods above, is often supportive while clearing candida.
What Are the Dangers of Eating Chocolate With Mold?
People who are particularly sensitive to mold and mycotoxins have noted feeling sick and having digestive issues after eating foods with mold. Symptoms of mold toxicity include:
- headaches
- joint pain
- fatigue
- weird dreams
- nausea
Should I Eat Chocolate?
We never want to eat foods with any VISIBLE mold on them. We can’t always see mold on chocolate, or any food for that matter. Chocolate is a delicious treat that many people enjoy and feel good about consuming. However, you should be aware that chocolate also has a risk of mold contamination.
It’s funny to think about, but we all consume mold and fungus without knowing it. The reactions all depend on the immune system, genetics, digestion, processes of detoxification of the body, and previous exposures to mold.
Making sure your digestive system is in good working order is one way to battle any molds you may ingest. Why? Because having a good digestive terrain, with a large beneficial microbial community, doesn’t let mold and fungus take hold. Having a good flow of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, kills invaders like mold, bacteria and parasites.
If you think that you are mold sensitive, it may be good to avoid that chocolate for a while, while you clear mold, and fortify your body systems. Look at it as just a break, not a break up!
In the meantime, what foods do you find satisfying, that can replace chocolate, for a while?
Sources
- https://inspection.canada.ca/inspect-and-protect/food-safety/what-are-those-white-spots-on-your-chocolate-/eng/1617285194201/1617285194514
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9081552/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/flavonol
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016816051400110X
DISCLAIMER: This post is for educational and informational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, condition, complaint, illness or medical condition and are not a substitute for professional services or medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking treatment. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other government agencies or regulatory authorities.
