Dark chocolate offers health benefits, surpassing white chocolate in antioxidant content and nutritional value, potentially preventing cancer, heart health, and reducing inflammation.
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Dark Chocolate Benefits: You now have a reason, or eight, to indulge in chocolate every day if that is your dream.
Research has demonstrated that dark chocolate, which is superior to milk and white chocolate in terms of antioxidant content and nutritional value, is a beloved superfood that offers a plethora of health benefits.
According to study, flavonoids, a class of phytonutrients found in dark chocolate, are plant-based molecules that function as antioxidants and may be involved in the prevention of cancer and heart health. Theobromine is another substance found in the cacao plant, which is used to make chocolate. Toby Amidor, RD, a cookbook author and nutrition expert for Food Network, believes this chemical may help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation.
“There are more antioxidants in cacao than in red wine or green tea,” the expert claims. “You’ll get more antioxidants the darker you go, but you need to find a balance between enjoying the health benefits of dark chocolate and eating it.”
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, your best bet is selecting a bar with 70% cacao or more; bars with lower cacao percentages have more added sugar and bad fats. Not only is good dark chocolate a healthier option than milk chocolate, but it’s still chocolate, which means it has a lot of calories and saturated fat. Amidor suggests consuming no more than one ounce (oz) of dark chocolate daily to prevent weight gain.
The potential improvement in heart health that dark chocolate may offer is one of the main advantages that researchers highlight. According to a meta-analysis and comprehensive review, eating Dark Chocolate once a week reduced the incidence of clogged arteries by 8%. Another study found that eating roughly 1 oz of chocolate regularly was linked to a decreased risk of coronary artery disease after analyzing data from over 188,000 veterans.
Studies indicate that the heart health is preserved by the flavonoids found in dark chocolate. According to a review, these substances aid in the production of nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
People may underreport their consumption of chocolate because many of these studies are observational, which could distort the results. Another limitation of the studies is their inability to prove cause and effect directly.
Notwithstanding the margin for error, a meta-analysis concluded that chocolate was probably helpful in lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
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Research has demonstrated that dark chocolate, which is superior than milk and white chocolate in terms of antioxidant content and nutritional value, is a beloved superfood that offers a plethora of health benefits.
According to study, flavonoids, a class of phytonutrients found in dark chocolate, are plant-based molecules that function as antioxidants and may be involved in the prevention of cancer and heart health. Theobromine is another substance found in the cacao plant, which is used to make chocolate. Toby Amidor, RD, a cookbook author and nutrition expert for Food Network, believes this chemical may help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation.
“There are actually more antioxidants in cacao than in red wine or green tea,” the expert claims. “You’ll get more antioxidants the darker you go, but you need to find a balance between enjoying the health benefits of dark chocolate and eating it.”
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, your best bet is selecting a bar with 70% cacao or more; bars with lower cacao percentages have more added sugar and bad fats. Not only is good dark chocolate a healthier option than milk chocolate, but it’s still chocolate, which means it has a lot of calories and saturated fat. Amidor suggests consuming no more than one ounce (oz) of dark chocolate daily to prevent weight gain.
No, this isn’t your imagination. Research indicates that consuming dark chocolate with a high cacao content—70%, for example—may be beneficial to your brain. According to research, chocolate boosts neural activity in reward- and pleasure-related regions of the brain, which reduces stress and elevates mood, says Joy DuBost, PhD, RD, global director for regulatory affairs and health science at Lipton Teas and Infusions in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a food scientist.
The precise effects of chocolate on the brain have been the subject of several studies. One such study found that consuming 48 grams (g), or slightly more than 1.5 oz, of organic chocolate with 70% cacao increased neuroplasticity, or the brain’s capacity to form new synaptic connections. This ability may have favorable effects on mood, memory, and cognition.
According to a different study, eating chocolate may improve memory and learning because the flavonoids, which are strong plant components present in cacao beans, have been shown to concentrate in the parts of the brain that control such processes. Subsequent investigations have even connected eating dark chocolate to a lower chance of developing clinical depression.
Even though all of these results may excite you, especially if you have a sweet tooth, it’s important to remember that larger sample sizes need to be used in future studies, and more research is required to determine the mechanisms at play. So bear that in mind before you go out and buy a bunch of chocolate bars. Furthermore, the majority of studies employed far larger amounts of chocolate than the 1.5 oz daily suggested intake.
Although eating chocolate every day doesn’t seem like the ideal strategy to avoid diabetes, research has shown that when consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, healthy amounts of dark chocolate that is high in cacao may help enhance how the body metabolizes glucose. According to research, insulin resistance is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes and causes elevated blood glucose (sugar).
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Researchers have shown that the flavonoids in dark chocolate can lower oxidative stress, which is thought to be the main cause of insulin resistance. Your body becomes more sensitive to insulin, which lowers resistance and lowers your chance of developing conditions like diabetes.
Another study found that people who ate chocolate infrequently had nearly twice the chance of getting diabetes five years later when compared to people who ate dark chocolate at least once a week.
Although scientists concur that dark chocolate has numerous health advantages, more research is required to establish whether chocolate intake and the risk of diabetes are causally related.
Daily chocolate consumption may seem like the last resort when it comes to weight management, but study indicates that dark chocolate may help regulate appetite, which may aid with weight loss. Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight, a book written by neuroscientist Will Clower, PhD, explains how a small piece of dark chocolate eaten before or after a meal releases hormones that tell the brain when you’re full. Eating more than the daily suggested quantity can, of course, negate any potential weight reduction, and eating dark chocolate won’t make up for the negative consequences of a diet that is generally unhealthy.
According to research, chocolate acts like a prebiotic—a kind of fiber that promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut—during the digestive process. Prebiotics should not be mistaken with probiotics. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health states that your body’s capacity to absorb nutrients and maintain a balanced metabolism is positively correlated with the number of “good” microorganisms present in your system.
According to a different study, milk chocolate may even help with weight loss by increasing metabolism and reducing hunger. Only 19 women made up the participant group, thus more investigation is required to support those findings. It’s also crucial to remember that chocolate, particularly milk chocolate, has a lot of calories and should only be eaten in moderation; consuming more won’t make you healthier.
Although there is little, evidence suggests that dark chocolate may offer some protection against some cancers. Research suggests that free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules, are the cause of aging and disease, and that antioxidants shield our cells from their damaging effects.
According to Dr. DuBost, “your body starts attacking your cells when there are too many free radicals present, and that can lead, over time, to low-grade inflammation and to some diseases — cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.”
Eating a diet high in flavonoids, which chocolate is high in, can help prevent cell damage, which is frequently the first sign of many malignancies, according to the American Cancer Society. Among the many flavonoids present in chocolate, epicatechin is thought to be the one responsible for its ability to prevent cancer, according to research.
However, the majority of studies are restricted to animal or cell culture models, and the quantity of chocolate required to possibly prevent cancer is far greater than the daily recommended intake for people.
Dark chocolate is a great source of vitamins and minerals that are good for your skin, including copper, iron, magnesium, and manganese, to name a few, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For instance, manganese aids in the synthesis of collagen, a protein that keeps skin appearing young and healthy. Additionally, studies have shown that the high antioxidant content of dark chocolate may shield skin from the sun’s potent UV radiation.
While other studies did not find that antioxidant-rich chocolate significantly protected against UV rays, they did find that sun-exposed skin had improved suppleness, but it is unclear exactly how this happened.
Because dark chocolate is also marketed as a food that lowers cholesterol, a study found that giving overweight and obese subjects a handful of almonds, dark chocolate, and unsweetened cocoa significantly decreased their levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol.
According to DuBost, there’s a chance that the cocoa butter in dark chocolate contributes to an increase in high-density lipoproteins, or “good” cholesterol. According to MedlinePlus, oleic acid, a monounsaturated lipid found in heart-healthy olive oil, is also present in cocoa butter. However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), cocoa butter is higher in saturated fat than olive oil, which can be detrimental to the heart when consumed in excess. This emphasizes the importance of controlling portion sizes.
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DuBost continues, “It’s premature to say that chocolate is a cholesterol cure-all, because many of the studies on chocolate and good cholesterol are short-term.”
Beyond all the other possible advantages, one thing is certain: dark chocolate is nutrient-rich. Naturally, the darker the chocolate, the better, but according to a study, any chocolate that is 70% dark or more contains antioxidants, fiber, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium.
It also has a significant amount of fat and calories, so watch how much you eat each day. Additionally, the way that chocolate is produced varies each brand. Going organic is always preferable, according to Amidor, as it is grown without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers (seek out items certified by the Rainforest Alliance). In order to make sure you’re eating chocolate with fewer and more natural components, she also advises you to constantly check the ingredients list.
Here are some sample nutrient levels in lightTrusted Source and darkTrusted Source chocolate:
| Nutrient | Light (100 g) | Dark (100 g) |
| Energy | 531 kcal | 556 kcal |
| Protein | 8.51 g | 5.54 g |
| Carbohydrate | 58 g | 60.49 g |
| Fat | 30.57 g | 32.4 g |
| Sugars | 54 g | 47.56 g |
| Iron | 0.91 mg | 2.13 mg |
| Phosphorus | 206 mg | 51 mg |
| Potassium | 438 mg | 502 mg |
| Sodium | 101 mg | 6 mg |
| Calcium | 251 mg | 30 mg |
| Cholesterol | 24 mg | 5 mg |
If consumed in excess, sugar-rich chocolate can cause dental damage.
While chocolate may be good for you, there are drawbacks as well.
According to Consumer Lab’s 2017 testing of 43 chocolate products, almost all cocoa powders contained more than 0.3 mcg of cadmium per serving, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended maximum.
Overall, eating chocolate might have advantages and disadvantages for your health. Moderation is crucial as always.
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