The health benefits of chocolate

It’s chocolate season! As Valentine’s Day approaches, this deep, dark, delicious sweet treat is finding its way onto the shelves and corners of almost every food market and gift shop. The benefits of chocolate are touted on packaging and headlined in countless articles (including this one) – but is chocolate really a superfood on par with blueberries, green tea and chia seeds?

Here’s what we know: Studies having found dark chocolate being highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants with the potential to improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure, improve skin quality, reduce inflammation and even improve blood flow to the brain. In fact, the chocolate was historically consumed for its supposed healing properties.

Americans spend billions (more than 21 billion dollars in 2024to be exact) dollars in chocolate each year. So, does this equate to billions in health benefits?

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

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

On labels, “cocoa percentage” refers to the proportion of cocoa liquor in the product; by extracting a little cocoa butter from this liquor, we obtain cocoa powder. Chocolate is made by combining cocoa liquor with cocoa butter and sugar; adding condensed or powdered milk produces milk chocolate. In the United States, milk chocolate is the most consumed type and usually contains around 10-12% cocoa liquor. “Dark” chocolate (often labeled semisweet/bittersweet) must contain ≥35% cocoa liquor by weight, while white chocolate contains only cocoa butter (≥20%) with sweeteners and dairy ingredients. (1)

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

1. ANTIOXIDANT POWER

Flavonoids are a type of polyphenol found naturally in plants that help protect them from environmental stressors. These are very powerful antioxidants and are found highly concentrated in cocoa beans (a fruit!). At high doses, these powerful compounds carry antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, which can prevent cell damage. More than 10% of cocoa powder’s weight is made up of flavonoids – it’s rich!

2. HEART AID

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

3. GOOD INTEST BUILDERS

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

4. Immunity Boosters

The antioxidants in cocoa beans help reduce oxidative stress by inhibiting and reducing the amount of free radicals in the blood. (3) Free radicals have the ability to improve our immune system! (4)

5. Brain Boosters

Theobromine and caffeine are the energizing components present in chocolate. These two substances block adenosine receptorshelping you feel more alert. When adenosine binds to its receptors, it slows neuronal activity and you begin to feel sleepy. (5) But the reality is that most of these compounds are found in very small amounts in the chocolate we consume. It’s more likely that the experience we have while eating chocolate—that moment of instantly satisfying a food craving—is responsible for the “high” we often feel after snacking on 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, in pure form, have a beneficial nutritional profile. Not only are they rich in flavonoids and antioxidantsbut cocoa 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. Cocoa nibs are simply crushed and dried cocoa beans, so they contain all the fiber, fats and nutrients that a cocoa bean contains. In its raw and rare form, chocolate does not contain sugar. All sugar is added during processing. The beans are earthy and slightly bitter, with a crunch similar to coffee beans.

• Incorporate the feathers chia pudding.
• Mix them into granola, granola bars and energy bites.
• Fold them in waffle And pancake hitters.

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

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

• Blend in smoothies.
• Bake into muffins or zucchini bread.
• Mix it with other healthy fruits like lawyers Or bananas for a deliciously refreshing treat.

This is where chocolate starts to get complicated. Each bar is different. Most contain lots of sugar, milk solids, fats, and even additives mixed in with the raw, healthy chocolates mentioned above, blunting and diluting many of the benefits. Bars containing more than 70% cocoa will have more antioxidants than milk chocolate. A high-quality concentrated bar can often satisfy a sweet craving in a bite or two, so find a dark bar you like and snack wisely.

If you want to increase your antioxidant intake, this category of treats probably isn’t the best place to find them! Although MyFitnessPal has a hell of a library Among healthier baked goods that contain chocolate, it’s best to avoid foods that contain a lot of added sugars, calories and refined flours.

This is the cocoa beanin whole form, not in chocolate bar form, which has health benefits. The more chocolate is processed, the fewer its benefits. If you really want to increase your antioxidant intake, incorporate powders and feathers into healthy dishes to enhance both flavor and benefits.

Originally published February 2022, updated January 2026

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