If you lovedark chocolate, you’re probably well aware of research that suggests it has important health benefits, mostly through improving heart health. Learn what the experts say and what daily dose of chocolate is the most healthy.
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The Flavanol Factor
The greatest benefit from chocolate comes with the highest concentration of cocoa, which contains flavanols, a form of flavonoid. Flavanols act asantioxidants, mopping updamaging free radicalsthat are produced during cell metabolism. They can also reduce resistance to insulin and make blood vessels more elastic, reducing blood pressure.
Since flavanols can be destroyed through processing, some of the benefits may be reduced.Less-processed chocolate and raw chocolate contain more flavanols than other chocolate, but these varieties may not have quite the same taste.
How Much Chocolate to Lengthen Life
Eating chocolate may have advantages, but it brings up the question of how much is beneficial and what the limit is before overindulgence cancels the positive effects.
How Often Should You Eat Chocolate
Other studies have looked primarily at howoftenyou eat chocolate, rather than the amount you consume. A 2011 research review involving a total of about 114,000 subjects in Europe, Asia, and North America, found a 37 percent lower risk in developing cardiovascular disease, a 31 percent reduction in risk of diabetes, and 29 percent reduction in risk of stroke, among subjects who ate chocolate the most often (more than twice a week). This review, from the University of Cambridge, included chocolate from all sources, including chocolate bars, drinks, and snacks, and did not distinguish between dark or milk chocolate.
Not Too Much, Not Too Often Is Just Right
Despite the beneficial effect of different sources of chocolate in their study, the Cambridge researchers warn against consuming too much of this energy-dense food. More recent studies have found no effect among those who eat chocolate and those who don’t on both mental and physical quality of life markers.
It seems a little chocolate goes a long way in helping you to live longer. With some research saying it really doesn’t matter, eat the amount of chocolate that works for you. Don’t eat more calories than you can burn and don’t replace other healthy plant-based foods with chocolate. Enjoy just enough to fill the need for something sweet and satisfying so that it doesn’t interfere with your healthy eating habits.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ludovici V, Barthelmes J, Nägele MP, et.al.Cocoa, blood pressure, and vascular function.Front Nutr. 2017 Aug 2;4:36. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00036Goya L, Kongor JE, de Pascual-Teresa S.From cocoa to chocolate: effect of processing on flavanols and methylxanthines and their mechanisms of action.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(22):14365. doi:10.3390/ijms232214365Kowalski R, Rosochacki M, Wyrostek J, Islam MT.Evaluating the quality of raw chocolate as an alternative to commercial products.Appl Sci. 2023;13(3):1274. doi:10.3390/app13031274Petyaev IM, Bashmakov YK.Dark Chocolate: Opportunity for an Alliance between Medical Science and the Food Industry?.Front Nutr. 2017;4:43. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00043Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, et al.Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(6):1490-1500. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac055Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L.Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis.Bmj. 2011;343(aug26 1):d4488-d4488. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4488Balboa-Castillo T, López-García E, León-Muñoz LM.Chocolate and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Prospective Study.Plos One. 2015;10(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123161Katz DL, Doughty K, Ali A.Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease.Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011;15(10):2779–2811. doi:10.1089/ars.2010.3697Additional ReadingClaims About Cocoa. US National Institutes of Health Information Sheet. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2011/08/claims-about-cocoa.Buitrago-Lopez A, et al. Chocolate Consumption and Cardiometabolic Disorders.BMJ2011;343:d4488.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ludovici V, Barthelmes J, Nägele MP, et.al.Cocoa, blood pressure, and vascular function.Front Nutr. 2017 Aug 2;4:36. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00036Goya L, Kongor JE, de Pascual-Teresa S.From cocoa to chocolate: effect of processing on flavanols and methylxanthines and their mechanisms of action.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(22):14365. doi:10.3390/ijms232214365Kowalski R, Rosochacki M, Wyrostek J, Islam MT.Evaluating the quality of raw chocolate as an alternative to commercial products.Appl Sci. 2023;13(3):1274. doi:10.3390/app13031274Petyaev IM, Bashmakov YK.Dark Chocolate: Opportunity for an Alliance between Medical Science and the Food Industry?.Front Nutr. 2017;4:43. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00043Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, et al.Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(6):1490-1500. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac055Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L.Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis.Bmj. 2011;343(aug26 1):d4488-d4488. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4488Balboa-Castillo T, López-García E, León-Muñoz LM.Chocolate and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Prospective Study.Plos One. 2015;10(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123161Katz DL, Doughty K, Ali A.Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease.Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011;15(10):2779–2811. doi:10.1089/ars.2010.3697Additional ReadingClaims About Cocoa. US National Institutes of Health Information Sheet. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2011/08/claims-about-cocoa.Buitrago-Lopez A, et al. Chocolate Consumption and Cardiometabolic Disorders.BMJ2011;343:d4488.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ludovici V, Barthelmes J, Nägele MP, et.al.Cocoa, blood pressure, and vascular function.Front Nutr. 2017 Aug 2;4:36. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00036Goya L, Kongor JE, de Pascual-Teresa S.From cocoa to chocolate: effect of processing on flavanols and methylxanthines and their mechanisms of action.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(22):14365. doi:10.3390/ijms232214365Kowalski R, Rosochacki M, Wyrostek J, Islam MT.Evaluating the quality of raw chocolate as an alternative to commercial products.Appl Sci. 2023;13(3):1274. doi:10.3390/app13031274Petyaev IM, Bashmakov YK.Dark Chocolate: Opportunity for an Alliance between Medical Science and the Food Industry?.Front Nutr. 2017;4:43. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00043Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, et al.Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(6):1490-1500. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac055Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L.Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis.Bmj. 2011;343(aug26 1):d4488-d4488. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4488Balboa-Castillo T, López-García E, León-Muñoz LM.Chocolate and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Prospective Study.Plos One. 2015;10(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123161Katz DL, Doughty K, Ali A.Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease.Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011;15(10):2779–2811. doi:10.1089/ars.2010.3697
Ludovici V, Barthelmes J, Nägele MP, et.al.Cocoa, blood pressure, and vascular function.Front Nutr. 2017 Aug 2;4:36. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00036
Goya L, Kongor JE, de Pascual-Teresa S.From cocoa to chocolate: effect of processing on flavanols and methylxanthines and their mechanisms of action.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(22):14365. doi:10.3390/ijms232214365
Kowalski R, Rosochacki M, Wyrostek J, Islam MT.Evaluating the quality of raw chocolate as an alternative to commercial products.Appl Sci. 2023;13(3):1274. doi:10.3390/app13031274
Petyaev IM, Bashmakov YK.Dark Chocolate: Opportunity for an Alliance between Medical Science and the Food Industry?.Front Nutr. 2017;4:43. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00043
Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, et al.Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(6):1490-1500. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac055
Buitrago-Lopez A, Sanderson J, Johnson L.Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis.Bmj. 2011;343(aug26 1):d4488-d4488. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4488
Balboa-Castillo T, López-García E, León-Muñoz LM.Chocolate and Health-Related Quality of Life: A Prospective Study.Plos One. 2015;10(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123161
Katz DL, Doughty K, Ali A.Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease.Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011;15(10):2779–2811. doi:10.1089/ars.2010.3697
Claims About Cocoa. US National Institutes of Health Information Sheet. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2011/08/claims-about-cocoa.Buitrago-Lopez A, et al. Chocolate Consumption and Cardiometabolic Disorders.BMJ2011;343:d4488.
Claims About Cocoa. US National Institutes of Health Information Sheet. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2011/08/claims-about-cocoa.
Buitrago-Lopez A, et al. Chocolate Consumption and Cardiometabolic Disorders.BMJ2011;343:d4488.
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