The Health Benefits of Chocolate

It’s chocolate season! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the deep, dark, delicious candy is splashing through the shelves and corners of almost every grocery store and gift shop. Chocolate’s benefits are touted on packaging and highlighted as headlines in countless articles (including this one) – but is chocolate really a superfood that can compete with blueberries, green tea and chia seeds?

Here’s what we know: Studies have found dark chocolate It is said to be highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants and has the potential to improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure, improve skin quality, reduce inflammation and even improve blood flow to the brain. In fact, it was chocolate historical eaten for its supposed healing properties.

Americans spend billions (more than $21 billion in 2024to be exact) dollars per year for chocolate. So does this equate to billions of touted health benefits?

Before we get into the health benefits, let’s start with the basic processing of chocolate.

All chocolate (dark chocolate, milk chocolate, nibs, bars, chips, cocoa powder, cocoa and yes, even white) begins its journey as a fruit on the cacao tree. The seeds that grow in these fruits are called cocoa (also cocoa) beans. After harvest are beans fermented, roasted and peeled; The inner pieces (“nibs”) are ground into cocoa mass (chocolate), a paste containing fat-free cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

On labels, “percent cocoa” refers to the proportion of cocoa mass in the product; By squeezing some cocoa butter from this liquid you get cocoa powder. Chocolate is made by combining cocoa mass with cocoa butter and sugar; By adding condensed milk or milk powder, whole milk chocolate is created. In the United States, Milk chocolate is the most commonly consumed Type and typically contains around 10-12% cocoa mass. “Dark” chocolate (often referred to as semisweet/bittersweet) must contain ≥35% cocoa solids by weight, while white chocolate contains only cocoa butter (≥20%) with sweeteners and dairy ingredients. (1)

So is there a way to incorporate chocolate into a balanced, healthy diet? Absolutely – but pay attention to the cocoa content and portion sizes.

1. ANTIOXIDANT POWER

Flavonoids are a type of polyphenol that occurs naturally in plants and helps protect them from environmental stressors. They are particularly effective antioxidants and are found highly concentrated in cocoa beans (a fruit!). These are in high doses carry strong connections antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties that can prevent cell damage. More than 10% The weight of cocoa powder is made up of flavonoids – that’s rich!

2. HEART HELPER

Cocoa beans are rich in flavonoids, especially flavanols.(1) Flavanol is responsible for the bitterness we often taste in raw chocolate. (1) Cocoa flavanols may support heart health by relaxing blood vessels to maintain healthy blood flow and by slightly lowering blood pressure. (2)

3. GOOD INTESTINAL PICTURES

Two of the most potent flavonols in chocolate are epicatechin and catechin, which increase antioxidant activity in the blood, reduce oxidative stress, and may even promote better gut health. (3) The presence of epicatechin and catechin can improve the quality of bacteria in our gut microbiota. increasingly our “good bugs” and reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria. The darker the chocolate, the better, as these effects were reduced when combined with milk.

4. STRONGER IMMUNITY

The antioxidants in cocoa beans help reduce oxidative stress by inhibiting and lowering the amount of free radicals in the bloodstream. (3) Free radicals have the ability to put our immune system into overdrive! (4)

5. BRAIN BOOSTER

Theobromine and caffeine are the energy-boosting components of chocolate. Both substances block adenosine receptorswhich helps you feel more awake. When adenosine binds to its receptors, it slows nerve activity and you begin to feel sleepy. (5) However, the reality is that most of these compounds are found in very small amounts in the chocolate we eat. It’s more likely that the experience we have when eating chocolate – the moment we instantly satisfy a food craving – is responsible for the “euphoria” we often feel after nibbling a few bites.

So can we have our chocolate cake and eat it too? Yes, but the darker and less sweet the chocolate, the better. Here are the benefits of consuming chocolate in its various forms.

Cocoa nibs have a beneficial nutrient profile in their pure form. It’s not just you rich in flavonoids and antioxidantsbut cacao nibs are also high in protein and fiber – with 5 grams of fiber and 2.5 grams of protein in just 2 tablespoons of nibs. But they are not sweet. Cacao nibs Because they are just crushed and dried cocoa beans, they contain all the fiber, fats and nutrients that a cocoa bean contains. In its raw, rare form, chocolate contains no sugar. All sugar is added during processing. The nibs are earthy and slightly bitter, with a crunch reminiscent of coffee beans.

• Stir in nibs Chia pudding.
• Add them to cereal, granola bars, etc Energy bites.
• Fold them in waffle And pancake Doughs.

Cocoa powder (and cocoa; more on the difference below) is made by removing cocoa butter from the liquid produced from crushed nibs. Unlike most other chocolate molds Cocoa powder is low in calories (about 12 per tablespoon). It is too rich in minerals such as magnesium, copper and iron.

Cocoa powder is very similar but is closer to its raw state than cocoa powder because cocoa goes through an additional layer of intense roasting and processing. This “Dutch processing” removes some of the bitterness, but also some antioxidants.

• Mix in Smoothies.
• Bake into muffins or Zucchini bread.
• Mix it with other healthy fruits such as: Avocados or Bananas for a wonderfully refreshing sweet treat.

This is where things start to get complicated with chocolate. Every bar is different. Most contain a lot of sugar, milk solids, fats and even additives mixed with the raw, healthy chocolates mentioned above, diluting and diluting most of the benefits. Bars that contain more than 70% cacao will do have more antioxidants as milk chocolate. A quality, concentrated bar can often satisfy sweet cravings in one or two bites, so find a dark bar you love and nibble wisely.

If you’re looking to increase your antioxidant intake, this category of candy is probably not the best place to find them! While MyFitnessPal has quite a library When choosing healthier baked goods that contain chocolate, it’s best to stay away from foods that are high in added sugar, calories, and refined flour.

It’s that Cocoa beanin whole form, not as a chocolate bar, which has health benefits. The more processed the chocolate is, the fewer the benefits. If you really want to increase your antioxidant intake, incorporate powders and nibs into healthy dishes to boost both flavor and benefits.

Originally published February 2022, updated January 2026

The post The Health Benefits of Chocolate appeared first MyFitnessPal Blog.

Source link