Chocolate makes life sweeter. It is loved both for its succulent taste and its health benefits for the body and mind. You can bite it, melt it, drink it, or bake it for a delicious, rich treat.
Choose the right kind of chocolate and you’ll also get a rare dessert that gets the stamp of approval from dietitians.
June is National Candy Month, although chocolate really rules in October for Halloween, December for the holidays, February for Valentine’s Day, and spring for Easter.
But people love it year-round: The average American eats nearly 10 pounds of chocolate a year, according to Forbes.
Many may not know that chocolate comes from a fruit tree and is made from a seed — the cocoa bean, notes the National Confectioners Association.
What is the healthiest chocolate?
Of the three types of chocolate – dark, milk and white – dark chocolate is the healthiest, according to nutrition experts.
“The health benefits of chocolate products are all due to the cocoa bean, which contains many phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-hypertensive properties,” Whitney English, a registered dietitian at Whitney E. RD in Palo Alto, California, tells TODAY.com.
“The more cocoa solids a product contains, the more nutritious it is. Dark chocolate contains the most cocoa bean solids and is therefore the richest in nutrients.
Dark chocolate also has a higher flavonoid content than milk chocolate or white chocolate, says Elisabetta Politi, a registered dietitian at the Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center in Durham, North Carolina.
Flavonoids work as antioxidants to block the damaging effects of free radicals, which have been linked to increased risk of heart disease and cancer, she notes.
“Additionally, flavonols, a type of flavonoids found in dark chocolate, may affect immune system function by reducing inflammation,” Politi tells TODAY.com.
Is 70% dark chocolate healthy?
Both experts recommend choosing chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, as it will have less added sugar and more phytochemicals than chocolate with less cocoa.
A 70% chocolate bar will contain cocoa beans or one of its derivatives – cocoa solids or cocoa liquor – as the first ingredient, Politi says. If the sugar appears first, that means the cocoa makes up less than 50% of the bar, she adds.
Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Cacao beans contain protein and are an excellent source of minerals like iron and magnesium, as well as manganese, copper, zinc and phosphorus, TODAY.com previously reported. You also get a little fiber — about 3 grams per 1 ounce of dark chocolate, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Chocolate is rich in polyphenols, beneficial compounds produced by plants.
Higher chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of future heart problems, researchers reported in the journal Heart.
Reviews of studies found that eating chocolate “significantly reduced” triglycerides – a type of fat in the blood – and may slightly lower blood pressure.
Cocoa flavanols protect against vascular disease and appear to improve blood flow to the brain, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Chocolate also has benefits for the mind.
Dark chocolate “contributes to the production of serotonin, a feel-good hormone, and contains magnesium, which is associated with reducing anxiety” and relieving stress, notes Keri Glassman, a registered dietitian in New York City.
Eating 85% cocoa dark chocolate may also improve mood via the gut-brain connection, with dark chocolate having a prebiotic effect on healthy gut bacteria and thereby improving negative emotions, a study suggests.
Could this make you smarter? There is a ‘surprisingly powerful’ correlation between chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel Prize winners in various countries – perhaps because chocolate ‘enhances cognitive function’, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine .
For example, Switzerland leads in terms of the number of Nobel Prize winners And the amount of chocolate its residents consume, the authors noted. (Other experts were very skeptical of the correlation.)
Side effects of dark chocolate
When Consumer Reports tested 28 dark chocolate bars from various brands in 2022, it found cadmium and lead – two heavy metals that are harmful to your health – in every one. The levels were not extremely high, but they were detectable, the organization said when releasing its test results.
The National Confectioners Association countered that the chocolate is safe for consumption and that all products tested “met strict quality and safety requirements.”
The damage caused by heavy metals appears to be counterbalanced by other positive compounds in dark chocolate, English notes.
If heavy metals are an issue, Politi suggests choosing milk chocolate or varying milk and dark.
Dark chocolate contains caffeine — about 23 milligrams per 1-ounce square, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If you eat four squares, that’s about the same amount of caffeine as drinking a cup of coffee.
And it’s still candy — it’s high in fat and sugar, with 170 calories per ounce, so eating too much can lead to weight gain.
How much chocolate per day can you eat?
Politi recommends sticking to 1 ounce per day, or the size of a case of dental floss.
English says a few squares of chocolate a day is a reasonable amount for most people.
How to eat dark chocolate if you don’t like it?
If it’s too bitter, try putting two small pieces in your mouth and letting them melt on your tongue, allowing you to experience the complexity of the dark chocolate flavor, Politi advises.
A dark chocolate bar with sea salt or dried fruit may also taste less bitter than plain dark chocolate, even if they contain the same amount of cocoa, she adds. Politi personally likes orange flavored chocolate.
Yogurt with fresh berries and a few dark chocolate chips sprinkled on top is another option, English notes.
Both dietitians love dipping fruit in melted chocolate.
Is chocolate bad for you or healthy?
Dark chocolate contains nutritional components, and its benefits likely outweigh the potential harms provided it’s consumed in moderation, English says.
If a person enjoys a sweet treat in the evening, choosing a few squares of dark chocolate over a bowl of ice cream is more beneficial, but it’s probably less healthy than a bowl of blueberries, she explains.
“If someone likes a treat at the end of a meal, I think a small amount of dark chocolate is an innocent choice, which has been shown to have health benefits,” adds Politi .
“(But) I wouldn’t say chocolate is a health food.”