Here’s everything you need to know about dark chocolate, including its nutrition, potential health benefits, and risks.
1. Protects Against Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Dark chocolate is an excellent source of antioxidants, especially flavonoid compounds such as catechins, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins. In fact, research shows that cocoa products, like dark chocolate, have the highest flavonoid content by weight of any other food. Because it’s richer in cocoa solids, dark chocolate is five times higher in flavonoids compared to milk chocolate.
Here's why that matters: Flavonoids have antioxidant properties that can protect cells from breaking down and experiencing oxidative stress, a process linked to a number of chronic conditions, such as certain cancers and heart disease.
Dark chocolate also has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Numerous studies have shown that eating dark chocolate is effective in reducing inflammatory markers. Examples of those markers include interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in people with conditions known to increase inflammation in the body, like type 2 diabetes.
2. May Benefit Heart Health
Consuming cocoa products, like dark chocolate, may be an effective way to support the health of your heart. Because dark chocolate is so high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, it may help protect against and reduce heart disease risk factors such as atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in the arteries) and high lipid and blood pressure levels.
Studies show that dark chocolate consumption is associated with a reduction in atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries, and a decreased risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Eating dark chocolate as part of a heart-healthy diet may help reduce heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and high blood lipid levels. A 2022 review of 31 studies found that the consumption of cocoa significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with normal and high blood pressure levels. The researchers noted that chocolate is more effective for lowering blood pressure levels than chocolate drinks and that cocoa products higher in flavonoid antioxidants had the greatest blood pressure-lowering effects.
Chocolate intake has also been shown to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood sugar, and triglyceride levels, and improve blood vessel function and blood flow, all of which can lower heart disease risk.
For example, a 2021 review that included eight studies investigating the effects of cocoa and dark chocolate consumption in people with type 2 diabetes found that dark chocolate intake was associated with a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol and fasting blood sugar levels.
3. Rich in Minerals
Chocolate products are surprisingly high in certain nutrients. For example, dark chocolate is an excellent source of minerals like magnesium and iron.
Magnesium is a mineral that's needed for blood sugar and blood pressure regulation, muscle contraction, nerve function, and DNA synthesis. Though consuming enough magnesium on a daily basis is critical for overall health, many people's diets are low in this important nutrient. Underconsuming magnesium can lead to health issues, including high blood pressure, which is why choosing magnesium-rich foods, such as vegetables, beans, and cocoa products, is so important.
Dark chocolate is rich in magnesium, with a one-ounce serving of dark chocolate containing 70-85% cocoa solids providing 64.6 milligrams (mg) of magnesium, which covers 15% of the recommended daily value.
Dark chocolate is also high in iron, a mineral that’s necessary for the production of a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body called hemoglobin, as well as growth and development, cellular function, and the synthesis of certain hormones.
A one-ounce serving of 70-85% dark chocolate provides 3.37 mg of iron, which covers 19% of the recommended daily value.
In addition to iron and magnesium, dark chocolate is a good source of other minerals, like manganese and copper. Manganese is necessary for energy metabolism and immune function, while copper acts as a cofactor for enzymes involved in energy production, neurotransmitter synthesis, iron metabolism, and more.
4. May Support Gut Health
Your diet has a significant impact on the health of your gut, including the bacteria that inhabit your digestive system, collectively known as your gut microbiota.
Dark chocolate provides nutrients that are known to benefit the gut, such as prebiotics. Prebiotics are compounds that act as fuel for friendly bacteria that reside in your digestive tract. Consuming foods rich in prebiotic fibers may help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, thus improving the health of the gut.
A 2022 study that included 48 healthy adults found that the participants who consumed 30 grams of 85% dark chocolate for three weeks experienced significant increases in gut bacteria diversity and increased levels of Blautia obeum bacteria, which are bacteria that produce the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate. SCFAs, like butyrate, are compounds that fuel the cells lining the large intestine, maintain intestinal health, and regulate inflammation in the gut.
The researchers also found that the 85% chocolate group experienced improvements in mood, which was associated with a greater abundance of Blautia bacteria.
This suggests that eating high-quality dark chocolate may positively impact gut health and may also boost your mood.
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