Milk chocolate remains the type of chocolate Americans turn to most often, but the more intensely-flavored dark chocolate is gaining ground. While some peoples’ palates prefer more bitter and less sweet flavors, a big factor in its recent popularity is the health halo anointed to dark chocolate.
So is dark chocolate actually healthy? While it may be more beneficial than milk and white chocolate, and it could be a better option than many other desserts or snacks, it’s still a treat.
There’s no doubt that the cocoa beans used to make dark chocolate are worthy of high praise. Cocoa beans are rich in flavanols, which are bioactive compounds found naturally in tea, red wine and berries.
Flavanols have been extensively studied for many years, and the evidence has been impressive. Research shows that flavanols help increase the body’s production of nitric oxide, a compound that dilates our arteries to help blood flow more efficiently through the body, including the brain. This may explain the link between consuming flavanols and improved mood and cognition.
While cocoa beans are rich in flavanols, most chocolate is not — even dark chocolate. Flavanols are highly vulnerable to destruction from the moment the beans are harvested, and most notably when they’re processed to make chocolate.
[Related:Antioxidants: What Are They and Why Do We Need Them?]
Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate
Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate contains a higher concentration of cacao, the ingredients derived from the cocoa bean. Typically, dark chocolate is between 55% and 90% cacao and milk chocolate is between 10% and 50% cacao. White chocolate, which some would argue is not really chocolate, is made with cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids and no flavanols.
So when you eat dark chocolate you have the potential to consume more flavanols — and generally the higher the percent cacao the more flavanols. However, this can vary dramatically by brand, and it’s not always a guarantee of higher flavanols.
With its more bitter taste, dark chocolate is lower in sugar compared to milk chocolate. Dark chocolate contains 24 grams of sugar per 100-gram dark chocolate bar versus 55 grams in milk chocolate. Dark chocolate also contains more caffeine, with about 80 milligrams of caffeine versus 20 milligrams in milk chocolate. However, that’s not an excessive amount — it’s more than a can of cola but less than a grande latte at Starbucks.
Dark chocolate is less creamy with a bolder bite, and one small study found that participants who ate dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate felt more satiated, less hungry and expressed a lower desire to eat something sweet. In fact, after eating dark chocolate, participants even consumed fewer calories the rest of the day compared to eating milk chocolate.
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Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
A few older studies examined the benefits of eating chocolate. For instance, a meta-analysis suggests moderate chocolate consumption (one to six servings per week) is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. Although the authors say additional studies are needed to confirm the observed benefits.
Similarly, a more recent systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that eating chocolate more than once a week was associated with an 8% reduction of coronary artery disease.
Other observational studies suggest a link between high cocoa or chocolate intake of 6 grams daily (one to two small squares) and a reduced risk of heart disease and mortality, possibly in part by reducing blood pressure and inflammation.
[See: The Best Diets for Your Heart.]
Research on Cocoa Flavanols
Instead of studying chocolate, researchers are now using isolated forms of cocoa flavanols — cocoa extracts either in a capsule or beverage — to deliver a larger amount of flavanols compared to what’s naturally in chocolate.
One of the biggest supporters of research on cocoa flavanols is Mars, Inc, the global chocolate company that has invested in research on cocoa flavanols for more than 20 years. However, they haven’t studied chocolate in more than a decade.
“Since chocolate is a calorically dense food, it is not a focus for our research,” says Dr. Hagen Schroeter, chief science officer of Mars Edge, a nutrition science division of Mars, Inc. and an adjunct research professor at the University of California, Davis.
While chocolate may be a source of flavanols, the rest of the food is not in line with guidelines for heart health and diabetes, he says. Instead, the Mars Edge research program focuses specifically on the potential health benefits of cocoa flavanols and explores ways to translate that into products with evidence-based health benefits.
Research has investigated the health benefits of cocoa flavanols, looking at potential impact on:
— Cardiovascular disease.
— Diabetes.
— Brain health.
Cardiovascular disease
The bulk of the scientific research on flavanols has focused on cardiovascular disease, including the largest randomized controlled clinical trial on cocoa flavanols called Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study or COSMOS,
that Mars Edge helped fund in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, Harvard Medical School and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
In one analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants in this five-year intervention who consumed 500 mg of flavanols from a cocoa extract supplement experienced a 39% reduction in cardiovascular deaths as compared to participants in the placebo group.
The Flaviola Health Study found that a cocoa flavanol beverage that contains 450 milligrams of flavanols taken twice daily helped improve endothelial function (a measure blood flow) and decreased total and LDL “bad” cholesterol.
Cocoa flavanols also appear to help lower blood pressure. A meta-analysis published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found an average dose of 670 mg of flavanols reduced blood pressure by about four points in people with hypertension.
Diabetes
Studies suggest cocoa flavanols may have an anti-diabetic effect by enhancing insulin secretion, improving insulin sensitivity and preventing the inflammatory damage associated with the disease. For instance, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found evidence that 200 to 600 mg of cocoa flavanols a day improved insulin sensitivity.
Observational studies have also suggested that cocoa flavanol supplementation may be a promising strategy to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Yet more recent clinical trials have been inconsistent, including an analysis from the COSMOS study. Taking a cocoa extract supplement (500 mg flavanols/day) for over three years did not reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
However, Schroeter says “a high flavanol diet is still beneficial if you have diabetes because it can improve the cardiovascular consequences of diabetes.”
Brain health
Flavanols are believed to increase blood flow to the brain and some small studies suggest flavanols may offer cognitive benefits.
A brain health analysis from the COSMO study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that the addition of 500 mg cocoa flavanols helped to restore memory in the participants with the lowest diet quality. The authors conclude that low flavanol consumption may act as a dietary driver of age-related memory decline.
Recommended Intakes of Flavanols
The growing scientific evidence has led to the first-ever dietary recommendations for flavanols (also called flavan-3-ols) that was established by an expert panel convened by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The group recommends 400 to 600 milligrams of flavanols per day to help reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Dr. Taylor Wallace, CEO of Think Healthy Group and a member of the expert panel says the guidelines were based on a systematic review of over 150 clinical trials and 15 prospective studies, or research that follows participants over time.
Based on moderate quality research, this higher consumption of flavanols may help improve blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels, he says.
Wallace emphasizes that the group recommends nutrient-dense foods that are low or absent of added sugars as your main source of flavanols. That rules out dark chocolate as a dominant source of daily flavanols.
“Dark chocolate can add substantial amounts of added sugar and saturated fat to your diet,” says Wallace, who suggests enjoying dark chocolate in moderation.
The best way to meet daily flavanol recommendations is to eat a wide range of flavanol-containing foods and beverages, including tea, fruits and vegetables.
Flavanol Content of Foods and Beverages
According to the USDA, these foods and beverages contain flavanols in the following amounts:
— Brewed green tea, 1 cup (319 milligrams).
— Brewed black tea, 1 cup (277 milligrams).
— Raw blackberries, 1 cup (64 milligrams).
— 70 to 85% dark chocolate, 3 squares (19 milligrams).
— Red wine, 5 ounces (17 milligrams).
— Apple, 1 small (15 milligrams).
— Cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon (13 milligrams).
— Raw blueberries, 1 cup (10 milligrams).
— Raw raspberries, 1 cup (9 milligrams).
— Raw strawberries, 1 cup (7 milligrams).
— Red or green grapes, 1 cup (6 milligrams).
Flavanols and Nutrients in Dark Chocolate
Chocolate has a long history as a medicinal food — where it was considered a food of the gods during the ancient Mayan civilization. It’s become a symbol of love, a favorite treat on Halloween and a $130 billon global industry.
There’s certainly a lot to love about dark chocolate, but you would need to eat a significant amount to reap the benefits of flavanols. In fact, the flavanol content of dark chocolate can vary dramatically. An analysis by Consumer Labs found that flavanol levels in dark chocolate bars ranged from 2 to 14 mg flavanols per gram of dark chocolate.
The lowest levels of flavanols were in the Dutch-processed or alkalized cocoas and chocolates, which creates a milder, less bitter flavor but substantially reduces the fragile flavanols.
Sometimes dark chocolate is described as being packed with nutrients. Although, once again, you would need to consume a lot of extra calories, fat and sugar in exchange for those nutrients.
A 100-gram or 3.5-ounce bar of dark chocolate that is 70% to 85% cacao, contains an array of nutrients, including:
— 54% daily value (DV) of magnesium.
— 66% DV of iron.
— 196% DV of copper.
— 15% DV of potassium.
— 12% DV of selenium.
The entire bar also includes:
— 600 calories.
— 24 grams of sugar.
— 43 grams of fat.
— 25 grams of saturated fat.
Of course, that’s quite a large portion of dark chocolate to eat in one sitting. The recommended serving size is 1 ounce, which contains 150 to 170 calories and is enough to savor as a delicious treat, but not enough to deliver significant amounts of vitamins, minerals or flavanols. It certainly won’t get you close to the 400 to 600 milligrams of flavanols recommended each day, or the level shown to demonstrate health benefits in clinical trials.
Heavy Metals in Dark Chocolate
Another potential downside of eating large quantities of dark chocolate is the heavy metals they may contain. Consumer Reports tested dark chocolate products and found levels of cadmium and lead above recommended thresholds, which may be especially concerning for young children and pregnant women.
Dark chocolate products with the highest amounts of heavy metals:
— Perugina premium dark chocolate, 70% and 85% cacao.
— Evolved signature dark chocolate, 72% cacao.
— Sam’s Choice dark chocolate, 72% cacao.
— Divine exquisitely smooth dark chocolate, 85% cacao.
— Hu dark chocolate gems.
— Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa, 100% cacao.
— Droste cocoa powder.
Milk chocolate was found to have lower levels of heavy metals since it contains fewer cocoa solids compared to dark chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Trends
Due to the increased awareness of flavanols, some companies are fortifying dark chocolate bars with additional flavanols, including FlavaBars that contain 500 milligrams of cocoa flavanols per serving. The same company also makes FlavaMix, a cocoa powder that contains 900 milligrams of cocoa flavanols per scoop.
Mars Edge offers an array of CocoaVia supplements, including a dark chocolate flavored mix with 500 milligrams of cocoa flavanols per serving.
Dark chocolate generally does not contain the milk solids found in milk chocolate, and some brands are promoting their products as vegan or plant-based. In fact, 41% of global consumers are interested in vegan chocolate, according to a 2024 chocolate trends report from chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut.
The same report found that 66% are interested in reduced sugar or no sugar chocolate. Dark chocolate already contains less sugar compared to milk chocolate, and some brands are introducing zero-sugar dark chocolate and promoting the bars as keto-friendly.
Additionally, the whole cacao is predicted to be a dominant trend in 2024 as companies explore ways to use different parts of the cacaofruit (pulp, peel and juice) in foods and beverages.
Savoring a Bite of Dark Chocolate
Few foods evoke the passion that people have for chocolate. So another benefit to consider is whether the foods bring you joy. I know I would rather have a few bites of rich, high-quality dark chocolate than most other sweets.
While it may not be the richest sources of flavanols, dark chocolate may offer a few health perks that make it a smarter choice than many other options. It just comes down to portion size.
“When enjoying dark chocolate, focus on the quality and cocoa content of the chocolate,” says registered dietitian Lisa Young, author of “The Portion Teller Plan” and “Finally Full, Finally Slim,” who recommends a dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao.
However, because it still contains calories, fat and sugar, Young says to eat dark chocolate in moderation. “Aim for a serving size up to one ounce, savoring each bite mindfully and appreciating the flavors,” she says. “A small portion goes a long way when you pair dark chocolate with fresh fruits like berries.”
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Is Dark Chocolate Good for You? originally appeared on usnews.com
