Chocolate, one of the most loved and consumed treats in the world, is still a mystery to many. There is a lot of debate over its pH level and whether it can be acidic or alkaline.

This debate arises because, in the time of making chocolate, many ingredients are mixed. Those Ingredients change the chocolate properties to alkaline or Acidic.

In the 16th century, when sugar was scarce and expensive cocoa beans from Mexico were sought after by traders along the spice routes to add color and flavor to chocolates.

In Japan, an alchemist named Shoumyo produced a unique liquor infused with delicate flavors through intense technique making them very expensive.

This article will show you what you need to know about this famous treat and how it affects your health.

What are Acidic and Alkaline?

Acid and alkaline are common terms used by many people around the world, yet their meaning is often misunderstood.

The pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a substance or solution; with an acid having more H+ than alkaline. The pH scale ranges from 0-14; where less than 7 is acidic and greater than 7 is alkaline.

There is a range of PH values that are considered “perfect score” which lies in the 7-8 area on the PH scale, however, there can be some confusion caused by what lies within this perfect score area.

In order to figure out if an object is acidic or alkaline use a PH test kit which will indicate whether something has high acidity or alkalinity level.

What is the pH level of cocoa or Chocolate?

The pH level of chocolate or cocoa powder can also be difficult to determine due to the many varied forms that chocolate exists in.

However, there are some basic assumptions we can make regarding alkaline and acidic ingredients: Black cocoa typical 6 ranges from 7 to 8, while red (cocoa shells) can range as low as 5.00 pH but the one which is neutral in color has a pH level of 6.98  (about 41% alkaline).

From this piece of information, we can state that chocolate has a pH level of 8.42 ± 0.02 which explains that oracular cocoa+vanilla orca is highly alkaline, whereas dark chocolate has a much lower pH value of 7.80 ±0 .01  which does not make it acidic!

Is dark chocolate acidic or alkaline?

As black coca typically ranges from 7 to 8 pH, it surely defines that dark chocolate is more at the alkaline side.

Dark chocolate is typically more alkaline than acidic since the ratio of fat to sugar in dark chocolate brings it this way (has an elevated fatty acid content).

Alkaline foods are well known for healthy weight loss, so if you’re considering losing weight, add some dark chocolate to your diet. This bittersweet alkaline treat can actually help you to lose weight!

Is mild chocolate acidic or alkaline?

Mild chocolate is usually acidic as it contains acidic ingredients such as milk, chocolate, and sugar. Though the mild cocoa is usually on a neutral pH so, the average pH level of mild chocolates is always around  6.5±0.01.

Is milk chocolate acidic or alkaline?

Milk and cocoa butter is the main component in those types of chocolates, as such; mild milk chocolate can be commonly categorized as acidic due to sugar content (1 /6 of milk chocolate contains 30% sugar), while its acidity could be neutralized by the presence of acids within fruits, nuts or vegetables.

Is chocolate bad for acid reflux?

Acid reflux is known as a digestive disorder; it usually occurs due to temporary stomach acids flowing up along the esophagus (parietal cells elsewhere in our body that can produce acid within food). 

This condition can lead to heartburn, which is commonly called acid reflux. Heartburn is known as a burning sensation in the chest that often occurs following meals.

Acid reflux can be caused by several factors which could include stress, smoking, or drinking alcohol along with other foods and drinks which contain ingredients such as chocolate (some chocolates have acidic contents).

Like many other common ingredients that contain high nutrition, such as peanuts and cornflakes, there is also an unfavorable report which suggests that ‘the high content of cocoa acidity (diacids: theobromine and caffeine) may cause heartburn.’ 

This highlights a seemingly worrying fact of using chocolate for reflux since it may cause acid production, particularly if the individual has lactose intolerance due to no longer having body contact with lactic acid already capable of causing some pretty nasty breath and stomach problems.

Chocolate does not affect the gut linings nor harm, irritate or inflame them – making it completely safe for its use under any circumstances.

Alkaline Chocolate health benefits?

The antioxidants found in alkaline chocolates are said to be among those which deliver Vitamin E which has become quite a big buzzword in food and nutrition terms.

Dark chocolate (which is alkaline type) which contains theobromine and phenethylamines, such as caffeine may cause an increase in adrenaline levels or increase heart rate which can often be attributed to ‘the high energy level you feel after eating it!

This, of course, is positive energy for the heart, but may, of course, be bad news if people are dealing with stress-induced anxiety or even insomnia which can come alongside high levels of caffeine consumption.

Still, it’s perfect for heart health and if you are ever concerned over the effects of chocolate on your cholesterol levels (which is another topic I know nothing about), polyphenols may be all that stands between good fat ratio foods like dark chocolates which contain cocoa butter coupled to just little polyphenols.

How does chocolate change the body?

Cocoa beans have many health benefits, predominately of which are related to cardiovascular health. While there is no serious research either way chocolate may affect how your body functions, some evidence supports the claim that it can help lessen anxiousness or dissolve tension in individuals undergoing stress responses.

This can be beneficial for those who deal with stress on a regular basis, which is usually suffered by students and people working in job environments where they feel depressed more often than not even though these individuals have high levels of intellectual background.

Conclusion

Chocolate has been known to have a wide range of benefits that can be helpful for making your day going on better.

A lot of people today love the feeling that they get while consuming chocolate and find it pleasurable in some way or another, so go ahead and give yourself a treat!