Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

What does dark chocolate have to do with apples, red wine, green tea, onions, and cranberries?

They share powerful chemicals called flavonoids.

Once you take a peek at the inner health benefits of dark chocolate, you will be pleased to know that not all nutrition news has to be disheartening for your palate.

What are Chocolate Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are a specific subset of antioxidants and polyphenols that may be associated with health benefits including cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease, digestive health, and immune balance.

Flavonoids have also been suggested to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-hypertensive, and anti-aging properties (1; 2; 3).

Dark Chocolate Benefits

A Piece of Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

As much as 10% of the dry weight of cocoa beans and dark chocolate is actually made up of polyphenol compounds (4).

In addition to flavonoids, cocoa beans contain other antioxidants such as catechins, epicatechins, and proanthocyanidins that may also account for some of the health benefits.

Flavanols can account for some of the bitter taste found in pure chocolate. But the more processed and palatable a chocolate product becomes, the more the health value may actually be lost.

Because of the diversity of cocoa beans and cocoa-derived products, it is unlikely that specific health claims regarding consumption will be made any time soon (5).

Meanwhile, the research keeps piling up…

In 2010, the New York Times reported that moderate intake of chocolate throughout the week or month was associated with a lower rate of hospitalizations and death from heart failure.

But before you run and stock up on your 85% cocoa bars at the grocery store, the study emphasized moderation.

The study noted that the protective effect was not observed for individuals consuming one or more servings of chocolate per day (6).

So for now, the research suggests just sticking to a few squares of dark chocolate per week.

What else is the research saying…?

Is Dark Chocolate Good for Your Prostate? What the Research Shows

One of the more headline-worthy questions for dark chocolate is whether it is good for the prostate.

A 2006 study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention demonstrated that cocoa extracts may offer an anti-proliferative effect on the growth of prostate cancer cells (7). A later study in the same journal also supported a reduction in prostate tumor incidence in rats fed cocoa powder (8).

Regular milk chocolate is packed with sugar and has less actual cocoa. This means you lose out on the antioxidant perks, and the sugar can even trigger inflammation in your body. On the other hand, dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa gives you a much bigger dose of healthy plant compounds. Just keep in mind that we still do not have strong proof from human studies showing it actually prevents cancer.

How much dark chocolate should I eat?

Keeping dark chocolate intake to 1oz per day is generally recommended to maximize the polyphenol intake without also getting too much sugar or potential irritation from the caffeine and theobromine that are also in chocolate. This comes out to 1-3 small squares per day.

A high 70%-85% dark chocolate bar will also be more bitter-tasting, so you’ll find that the 1-3 small squares are satisfying; above that, the bitterness may give you a tacky feeling in your mouth, similar to what you might feel after drinking a high-tannin wine.

What about cocoa and cacao?

Both cocoa and cacao come from the same plant. Cocoa is made using higher temperatures, giving it a silkier texture and sweeter flavor, whereas cacao is made using a low-temperature process, making it more bitter yet more nutrient-dense. As you might expect, the minimal processing of cacao makes it healthier for its functional health qualities.

Chocolate and Cancer:

Some evidence exists connecting chocolate consumption with anti-cancer properties.

Chocolate may affect cancer growth in a number of interesting ways:

• Suppresses pro-inflammatory cell messengers and cancer cell transformation (9; 10).
• Also demonstrates cancer-preventive effects due to its antioxidant potential (11).
• Cocoa flavanols and procyanidins can be transported inside the cell & may modulate cancer-related signaling. Their effect may be selective on human cancer cells (12; 13).

Cocoa and Gut Health:

• Dark chocolate intake may help promote healthy gut bacteria & reduce systemic inflammation (14).
• Flavonoids found in other foods have also demonstrated protective effects on gastrointestinal integrity by influencing gene expression (15).

Inflammation & Neurodegeneration:

• Cocoa consumption positively influences inflammatory pathways (16).
• Inverse correlation between flavonoid-containing foods and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s (17).
• Flavonoids can work like antidepressants and have protective effects on inflammatory processes related to nerve injury (18).

Chocolate and Heart disease:

The most supportive evidence for the positive influence of dark chocolate involves the influence of its chemical components on the cardiovascular system (19).

In his article “More Good News About Chocolate,” world nutrition expert Dr. Andrew Weil asserts that chocolate can help lower blood pressure, improve blood vessel function, and even lower insulin levels. But the proposed benefits do not stop there…

• As chocolate consumption increases, coronary heart disease in the United States has been shown to decrease (20).
• Although high in fat content, the majority of the fat is composed of stearic acid, which does not negatively affect cholesterol levels (21), as had also been reported by Dr. Andrew Weil.
• Dark chocolate may reduce LDL and total cholesterol levels when consumed over a period of two to twelve weeks (22).
• Due to cocoa’s potential to reduce cardiovascular risk, cocoa consumption may play an indirect role in reducing all-cause mortality and may play a “pivotal role in human health” (23).
• Other reviews support the role of cocoa products on heart disease factors such as blood pressure, but caution against treatment recommendations until further details are investigated (24).

Chocolate: Food as Medicine?

Numerous research reviews support that dark chocolate intake may positively influence oxidative stress, inflammation, vessel function, immunity, detoxification, and nitric oxide production – and may exert protective effects on blood pressure, insulin resistance, lipid profile, and platelet activation (25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40)

Although the research looks promising, it is important to note that health benefits are more consistently associated with dark chocolate, as milk chocolate may contain proteins that inhibit flavonoid absorption (41).

Additionally, Consumer Reports recently released a guide detailing high levels of lead and cadmium in some products that may surprise you.

My favorite sources that are listed as safer chocolate by Consumer Reports are Taza Chocolate

The higher the cacao content, the higher the flavonoids and polyphenols, and the more bitter the chocolate. The bitterness can be helpful, as you’re more likely to stick with smaller 1-2 oz daily servings (1-3 squares per day).

The dark chocolate varieties are made on separate equipment and remain completely dairy-free, soy-free, and 100% organic.

For general wellness support, I believe that eating one to two ounces of high-cocoa dark chocolate a few times a week can be an enjoyable way to add variety to your food plan and take advantage of its potent health benefits.

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