Dark Chocolate Nutritional Facts

You have the Aztecs to thank for the chocolate you enjoy today. They believed that the cacoa tree was given to them from paradise and that when eaten, you gained both wisdom and power. The Aztecs presented cacoa to the explorer Hernando Cortes as a gift. In 1876 a Swiss, named Daniel Peter, invented milk chocolate. Chocolate finally made its appearance in the United States in 1765 when John Hanan brought it to Massachusetts where he started the first U.S. chocolate factory. If you consider yourself a chocoholic, you'll be happy to know that dark chocolate can help satisfy your sweet tooth while providing some nutritional benefits.

Varieties

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration qualifies both semisweet and sweet chocolate as dark chocolates. Semisweet chocolate must have at least 35 percent chocolate liquor and an average fat content between 30 and 35 percent. This is dependent on the weight of the chocolate, not as a serving. Sweet chocolate is about 15 percent chocolate liquor with more added sweeteners.

Calories and Fat

In a 1-oz. serving of bittersweet dark chocolate, you will take in approximately 150 to 160 calories. Of these calories, about 18 percent of them come from fat. Dark chocolate is not considered a low-fat food. In fact, a 1-oz. piece of chocolate is made up of about 33 to 45 percent fat.

Carbohydrates

Most of the carbohydrates from dark chocolate come from sugar. In a typical dark chocolate bar, there are about 25 g of carbohydrates per serving, 21 g of which come from sugar. Taking a look at that 1-oz. piece of chocolate again, 20 to 50 percent of it is carbohydrates, with 13 to 45 percent of that from sugar alone. However, about 5 to 8 percent does come from fiber.

Protein

For one serving of a dark chocolate bar, there are about 2 g of protein. In a 1-oz. piece of chocolate, protein makes up about 5 to 10 percent of its contents.

Other Benefits

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. These substances help repair damaged cells and prevent further damage from toxins. Without antioxidants, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or the "bad," cholesterol accumulates and can oxidize, resulting in plaque build-up in your arteries. All chocolates do not provide flavonoids. You must be picky about your chocolate and choose dark chocolates that are minimally processed. In a study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2001 by Ying Wan and colleagues, the cardiovascular benefits of a diet containing dark chocolate was tested. The study separated two groups of participants in a fiber- and caffeine-controlled diet or a diet supplemented with 22 g of cocoa powder and 16 g of dark chocolate. The group that received chocolate supplementation experienced a decrease in LDL oxidation and an increase in high-density lipoprotein, or the "good," cholesterol.