Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Americans love chocolate. In fact, they consume 2.8 billion pounds of it per year, which comes out to more than 11 pounds per person. So when an article declares the health benefits of dark chocolate, it might almost seem too good to be true! (1)
Well, I’m here to tell you that dark chocolate does, in fact, have some serious health benefits. As long as you consume it in moderation, it can enhance your health. (2)
Nutritionally Dense
Dark chocolate is packed with nutrition. In one 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa, you’ll find: (2)
- 11 grams of fiber
- 98% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for manganese
- 89% of the RDI for copper
- 67% of the RDI for iron
- 58% of the RDI for magnesium
- Lots of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium
Keep in mind that these numbers are based on a 600-calorie chocolate bar, which also includes a moderate amount of sugar. So make sure you check serving sizes on any chocolate you’re eating and consume it in moderation. (2)
Full of Antioxidants
Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants, which combat free radicals. Free radicals are unstable cells that contribute to both cancer and aging. The body produces these waste substances in reaction to environmental factors. Factors that lead to the production of free radicals may be internal, like inflammation, or external, like pollution, UV exposure, and cigarette smoke. (2, 3)
To test how high a food is in antioxidants, researchers place free radicals and a food sample together. Then they observe how effectively the antioxidants in the food combat the free radicals. (2)
Raw, unprocessed cocoa beans have one of the highest scores of antioxidant activity ever tested. The polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins found in dark chocolate, as well as other organic compounds, all act as antioxidants. (2)
May Lower Risk of Heart Disease
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. Dark chocolate has several properties that can help reduce blood pressure. One is the flavanols it contains. These can stimulate the lining of the arteries to produce nitric oxide. The nitric oxide then sends relaxations signals to the arteries. This allows greater blood flow and reduces blood pressure. (2)
Additionally, some long-term observational studies have suggested a link between eating dark chocolate and lowering the risk of heart disease. More in-depth research needs to take place in order to confirm this link. But it does seem that some compounds in dark chocolate are protective against low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). This keeps cholesterol from building up in arteries, also lowering heart disease risk. (2)
Can Boost Brain Function
In a 2012 study of 90 elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment, subjects who consumed high-flavanol cocoa once a day for eight weeks had promising results. Their scores increased on a verbal fluency test and other cognitive function tests. And their insulin resistance, blood pressure, and lipid peroxidation all decreased. Researchers believed that the subjects’ increased cognitive function may have been due in part to the improvement of their insulin sensitivity. (4)
In a more recent study from 2017 published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers noted that ‘the evidence accumulated so far suggests that cocoa flavanols administration can be effective at sustaining cognitive performance, leading to improvements in measures of general cognition, attention, processing speed and memory.’ What this all boils down to is that regularly ingesting cocoa flavanols (like those found in dark chocolate) over time may produce beneficial effects on cognitive functioning. (5, 6)
As long as you’re eating it in moderation, dark chocolate offers some amazing benefits for your health. Feel free to enjoy a little bit every day knowing all of the great things it’s doing for you!
