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.
Dark chocolate often contains cocoa butter, which is high in , which has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
“Dark chocolate is a concentrated source of calories and eating too much of it can lead to eating too many calories in general, which may result in weight gain.
Side Effects of Dark Chocolate
Excessive consumption of dark chocolate can increase caffeine levels in blood, causing increased heart rate, nausea, dehydration and insomnia. Approximately 30-60 grams of dark chocolate per day is recommended quantity to be healthy.
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.
What is the daily recommended amount of dark chocolate? The recommended “dose” is approximately 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g, experts say. Indulge in anything more than that, and you may be consuming too many calories. A 1.45-ounce (41 gram) Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 190 calories.
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.
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.
Dark chocolate is particularly beneficial for your gut. It provides fuel and promotes the growth of some of the gut's "good" bacteria.
Dark chocolate is delicious, rich, and satisfying. It's also packed with antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. These may reduce your risk of disease and lead to healthier aging ( 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 ).
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.
Dark chocolate is high in calories and fat, which may contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess. Some types also contain high amounts of added sugar, which can increase the calorie count and contribute to chronic disease.
Dark chocolate and especially milk chocolate are processed with large amounts of artery-clogging saturated fat and sugar, which are likely to cancel out positive effects on heart health from the flavanols.
This type of chocolate is often used for cooking (like the unsweetened), but is considered extremely tolerable to eat alone. The recommended minimum amount of cocoa beans to be found in healthy dark chocolate is 70%, so this is a good form of chocolate to snack on.
While some people claim to have become constipated from chocolate, there is no link supported by science. So, no, dark chocolate, particularly cocoa, does not cause constipation. On the contrary, dark chocolate can make it easier to pass stools due to its high fiber and mineral content.
Incorporating some dark chocolate into your diet may also help ease anxiety. Dark chocolate contains flavonols, such as epicatechin and catechin, which are plant compounds that act as antioxidants.
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).
Vision. Studies have shown that young adults eating dark chocolate had enhanced visual performance. It is believed the cocoa in dark chocolate may increase blood flow to the brain and retina. This in turn can improve motion detection and improve the capability to see letters of low contrast.
Dark chocolate has been shown to contain neurochemicals, such as serotonin, that have a psychoactive and euphoric effect on the mind. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation and cognitive function, so it's no surprise that chocolate can immediately boost your mood on a bad day.
For those chocolate lovers, stick to dark chocolate that is at least 70% cacao to get the most health benefit.
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.
Dark chocolate thins the blood and performs the same anti-clotting activity as aspirin. Many doctors recommend baby aspirin to reduce our risk of heart attack or stroke. Researchers at University of California, Davis have found that dark chocolate has a similar effect.