Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate, which differs from ordinary milk chocolate due to its significantly higher cocoa content, is packed with nutrients and can have positive effects on health. This chocolate, which is made from the seeds of the cacao tree, is one of the best sources of antioxidants around. Studies show that dark chocolate (and not that sugary junk) can improve health and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Dark chocolate is highly nutritious

If you buy high quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, it is quite nutritious. 100 grams of dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70 to 85% contains (1):

1 gram of fiber
67% of the daily requirement of iron
58% of the daily requirement of magnesium
89% of the daily requirement of copper
98% of the daily requirement of manganese

Dark chocolate also contains plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium

Of course, 100 grams of chocolate is a large amount and not something you should consume every day. All these nutrients come in combination with just under 600 kcal and moderate amounts of sugar. For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation. The fatty acid profile of dark chocolate is also excellent. The fats are primarily saturated or monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fats. Dark chocolate also contains stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine, but it will not keep you awake at night as the amount of caffeine it contains is very low compared to coffee. Summary: High quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and some other minerals.

Dark chocolate is a rich source of powerful antioxidants

The ORAC value stands for the capacity of a food to absorb free oxygen radicals and is a measure of the antioxidant activity of food. To measure the ORAC, scientists release a defined amount of free radicals against a food to be tested and examine how well the antioxidants contained in this food can neutralize the free radicals.

However, the biological relevance of ORAC is questionable, as it is measured in a test tube and the food in question does not necessarily have the same effect in the body. However, it is worth noting that raw, unprocessed cocoa beans are among the foods with the highest ORAC values ever measured.

Dark chocolate is overloaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and act as antioxidants. These include polyphenols, flavanols and catechins. One study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate had higher antioxidant activity and higher levels of polyphenols and flavanols than any other fruit tested, including blueberries and acai berries (2).

Summary: Cocoa and dark chocolate contain a wide range of antioxidants. In fact, they contain far greater amounts of these active compounds than most other foods.

Dark chocolate could improve blood flow and lower blood pressure

The flavanols found in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium - the inner lining of the arteries that produces nitric oxide (3). One function of nitric oxide is to signal the arteries to relax, which reduces the resistance to blood flow and therefore lowers blood pressure.

Many controlled studies show that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, although these effects are usually mild (4, 5, 6, 7). However, a study conducted with subjects suffering from high blood pressure showed no effects of dark chocolate, so this information should be taken with a grain of salt (8).

Summary: The bioactive compounds contained in cocoa may improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically relevant reduction in blood pressure.

Dark chocolate increases levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and protects "bad" LDL cholesterol from oxidation

The consumption of dark chocolate can reduce several risk factors for heart disease. In a controlled study, cocoa powder was shown to significantly reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in men. Cocoa powder also increased HDL cholesterol levels in subjects with high cholesterol levels while lowering LDL cholesterol levels (9).

Oxidized LDL cholesterol in this context means that the "bad" LDL cholesterol has reacted with free radicals. This makes LDL particles themselves reactive, enabling them to damage other types of tissue such as the lining of the arteries in the heart. It makes perfect sense that cocoa lowers levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol. Cocoa is rich in antioxidants that enter the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins from oxidative damage (10, 11, 12).

Dark chocolate can also reduce existing insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for diseases such as heart disease and diabetes (13, 14).

Summary: Dark chocolate improves numerous risk factors for disease. It lowers LDL cholesterol susceptibility to oxidative damage, while increasing HDL cholesterol levels and improving insulin sensitivity.

Dark chocolate could reduce the risk of heart disease

The compounds contained in dark chocolate appear to have strong protective effects against oxidation of LDL cholesterol. In the long term, this reduces the amount of cholesterol that accumulates in the arteries, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease.

In fact, long-term observational studies show quite a dramatic improvement. One study of 470 older men found that cocoa reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by a massive 50% over 15 years (15). Another study showed that eating dark chocolate twice a week or more reduced the risk of calcium plaque build-up in the arteries by 32%. Less frequent consumption of dark chocolate showed no effect (16). Another study showed that eating dark chocolate more than five times a week reduced the risk of heart disease by 57% (17). Of course, all three studies were observational, which means that there is no direct evidence that it was actually the dark chocolate that reduced the risk. However, since the biological processes are known (a reduction in blood pressure and a reduction in the oxidation of LDL cholesterol), it is plausible that regular consumption of dark chocolate could reduce the risk of heart disease:

Summary: Observational studies have observed a dramatic reduction in the risk of heart disease in people who consumed the most dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate could protect the skin from the sun

The bioactive compounds found in dark chocolate could also be good for your skin. The flavanols may protect against sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration (18). The minimum erythemal dose (MED) is the minimum amount of UVB radiation required to cause reddening of the skin 24 hours after sun exposure. In a study of 30 volunteers, the MED was more than twice as high after consuming dark chocolate high in flavanols over a 12-week period (19). So if you're planning a beach vacation, it might make sense to "load up" on dark chocolate in the weeks and months beforehand.

Summary: Studies have shown that the flavanols contained in cocoa can improve blood flow in the skin and protect the skin from sun damage.

Dark chocolate could improve brain function

The good news doesn't end there. Dark chocolate could also improve the function of your brain. A study conducted on healthy volunteers showed that consuming cocoa, which is rich in flavanols, for five days improved blood flow to the brain (20). Cocoa could also significantly improve cognitive function in older people with mental impairment. It may also improve verbal fluency and reduce several risk factors for disease (21). In addition, cocoa contains stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key factor in cocoa's ability to improve brain function in the short term (22).

Summary: Cocoa or dark chocolate may improve brain function by improving blood flow. Cocoa also contains stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine.

Conclusion

There is strong evidence that cocoa can have powerful health benefits, which could offer protection against heart disease in particular. Of course, this doesn't mean that you should eat large amounts of chocolate every day from now on. Dark chocolate contains a lot of calories and it's easy to eat too much of it.

A few corners of chocolate enjoyed after dinner would be an option. If you want the benefits of dark chocolate but want to cut calories at the same time, you can enjoy a hot cocoa without cream and sugar instead of dark chocolate.

You should be aware that the benefits described in this article only apply to dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. However, much of the chocolate on the market is low in cocoa and high in sugar. For this reason, choose high-quality dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% or more. Dark chocolate usually contains some sugar, but the amounts are usually small and the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it contains.

Dark chocolate is one of the few foods that is both delicious and has significant health benefits.

References

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate#section8