The research into dark chocolate, containing around 60 per cent cocoa, and cocoa drinks found that they too had more antioxidant activity and more flavanols-health-giving plant chemicals-than fruit.
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.
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.
Although fruit contains naturally occurring sugar, its nutritious, low-fat, high-fiber package makes it much healthier than sweets with added fats and sugars, such as chocolate candies.
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.
The research into dark chocolate, containing around 60 per cent cocoa, and cocoa drinks found that they too had more antioxidant activity and more flavanols-health-giving plant chemicals-than fruit.
Skip unhealthy ingredients and replace candy with fruit, nature's sweet treat. While fruit contains natural sugars, it also delivers beneficial nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The fiber in fruit also makes you feel full, unlike most candy.
The candy bar has a slight edge in protein and calcium content, but the overall amounts aren't particularly impressive. Meanwhile, the banana is significantly higher in fiber, as well as potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and magnesium.
Of course, the darker the chocolate the better, but any 70 percent dark chocolate or higher contains antioxidants, fiber, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium, according to an overview published in December 2019 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
You can eat at least 30g of 70-100% dark chocolate a day. The higher the percentage of cacao, the better.
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).
Apples vs oranges
A clear winner comes forth if you're trying to boost your immune system before the winter hits. While apples contain more fiber, an important nutrient that aids in healthy digestion and lowering cholesterol, oranges provide more vitamins and minerals including the ever-powerful vitamin C.
Apples protect your heart.
Eating one medium apple a day may help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation all of which support a healthy heart. Eat the peel when you can as the fiber and polyphenols found in the peel benefit heart health.
While this is not a problem for most people, those following a low carb or ketogenic diet may need to moderate their intake. Eating an apple every day is unlikely to negatively affect your health. However, eating excessive amounts of apples every day could contribute to digestive issues.
Fruit can provide several essential nutrients, including fiber, antioxidants, and other healthful compounds that help protect the body from disease. Including whole fruits in a no-sugar diet can still be healthful.
Good choices include oranges, blueberries, apples, avocados, and bananas, but there are many more to choose from. Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids.
Chocolate is especially rich in flavanols like epicatechin and catechin, as well as anthocyanins and phenolic acids. All of these compounds help protect your cells from inflammation, improve your brain function, and boost your immune and cardiovascular health. Dark chocolate can also give you: Cardiovascular support.
Go for a dark chocolate or a dark coconut milk chocolate if you're looking to maximize health benefits— it's not just a lower cacao content that makes a milk chocolate less good for you. The proteins in animal milk bind to the antioxidants in chocolate, making them unavailable for your body to use.
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).
For those chocolate lovers, stick to dark chocolate that is at least 70% cacao to get the most health benefit.