Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health. Made from the seed of the cacao tree, it's one of the best sources of antioxidants you can find. Studies show that dark chocolate can improve your health and lower the risk of heart disease.
And even though quality dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate, it is still chocolate, meaning it's high in calories and saturated fat. To avoid weight gain, Amidor recommends eating no more than 1 ounce (oz) of dark chocolate per day.
Dark chocolate is high in calories (150-170 calories per ounce) and can contribute to weight gain if eaten in excess. However, chocolate, like nuts can induce satiety, so the longer term implications for weight control are not clear.
And moderate amounts of minimally processed, high quality dark chocolate may also be good for your health. Aim for chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa. This contains more natural fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, and fewer other ingredients, like refined sugar and additives.
It is also worth noticing that 100% dark chocolate is the healthiest option among all the sugar-free chocolates on the market. To make their products palatable without sugar, many big chocolate manufacturers use alternatives with lower calories but higher sweetening power.
And while some chocolate-filled treats can be loaded with sugar and other ingredients that aren't great for your health, dark chocolate can be surprisingly good for you. If you eat a small portion of dark chocolate every day, you could see an overall improvement in your health.
Lindt dark chocolate is the OG of healthy supermarket desserts – high in heart-friendly flavonoids and low in sugar. The higher the percentage of cocoa the less sweet stuff you'll find in the fine print, with the 85% cocoa option only containing 2.2 grams of sugar per serve.
Very nutritious
If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it's quite nutritious. It contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals. A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70–85% cocoa contains ( 1 ): 11 grams of fiber.
Dark chocolate is packed full of important minerals, including iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and phosphorus. In your body, these minerals are used to support factors such as immunity (zinc), can help keep your bones and teeth healthy (phosphorus), and contribute to better sleep quality (magnesium).
Eating an excessive amount of dark chocolate can increase caffeine intake which can be unsafe for the foetus. Higher caffeine content can cause various issues like premature delivery, low birth weight and even lead to miscarriage. It is better to watch the quantity of your consumption.
Dark Chocolate Improves Blood Flow to the Brain
Compounds in dark chocolate boost memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain. What is this? The flavonoids in chocolate have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain in young and old alike.
Health benefits of 100% dark chocolate include the following: Combats the presence of free radicals, which cause chronic illness and disease. Improves the function of the vascular endothelium (the cells that line the insides of your blood vessels) Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
You can enjoy dark chocolates as often as you want. However, for a person who wishes to lose weight with these chocolates, dark chocolates should be eaten on an empty stomach or 30 minutes after a solid-food meal. They can also be eaten as a snack between lunch and dinner.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association(link opens in new window), found that combining raw almonds, dark chocolate and cocoa significantly reduced the number of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, particles in the blood of overweight and obese people.
How healthy is Lindt 90% Cocoa Dark Chocolate? On the positive side, Lindt 90% Cocoa Dark Chocolate has 86% less sugar, 364% more dietary fiber, 100% less cholesterol, 83% less sodium, 93% more protein and 165% more iron than the average chocolate bar.
70% cocoa dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which have some major anti-inflammatory effects. Flavanols help to reduce inflammation and keep the cells that line the arteries healthy. Antioxidants fight inflammation and free radicals, which can help your immunity and reduce your risk of disease.
Dark chocolate contains potent anti-oxidants which reduce the post-prandial (after-meal) blood pressure in the liver (or portal hypertension) associated with damaged liver blood vessels (endothelial dysfunction).
For those chocolate lovers, stick to dark chocolate that is at least 70% cacao to get the most health benefit.
Dark chocolate is best for you because it's the least processed chocolate, which means it contains the highest percentage of flavonoid-filled cocoa bean (cocoa).
Studies show it can help reduce blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease. “Eating chocolate is healthy when it is dark chocolate,” says Poulina Uddin, MD, a cardiologist at Scripps Clinic. “Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate regularly can benefit your health.”
An apple is a healthier snack because it has more nutritional value than chocolate — and a fraction of the calories. Apples contain vitamins and minerals that are essential to healthy growth and development, as well as brain functioning, heart health, and our bodies' other daily needs.
The research, from the Cardiovascular Health Journal, says dark chocolate is better for heart health than some fruits and vegetables like blueberries and broccoli. Nutritionist Abbey Ellner says cocoa is the key to getting antioxidants that help with blood flow to the heart.