While dark chocolate has health benefits, particularly for your heart, you can't eat as much as you'd like. In addition to flavenols that act as antioxidants, substances that can reduce cell damage, dark chocolate also contains sugar and fats, which add calories to your daily intake. But if a small square daily satisfies your sweet tooth without leaving you looking for more, dark chocolate may be a good way to increase your antioxidant intake.
Amounts
A study conducted by Italian researchers from Catholic University showed that only a small amount of dark chocolate, the equivalent of a small square two to three times per week, reduced C-reactive protein levels in the blood. C-reactive protein levels rise in response to inflammation in blood vessels that can damage them and lead to heart problems. Eating more than this amount negates the value by adding calories and fat to your diet, lead author Licia Iacoviello, M.D., reported. MayoClinic.com reports that eating 6 g dark chocolate per day, or one small square, which contains around 30 calories, gives you the benefit of dark chocolate without raising other risks.
Cocoa Content
The higher the cocoa content in dark chocolate, the higher the health benefits. However, most people find chocolate with 100 percent cocoa, such as unsweetened baking chocolate, to be unpalatable. A number of manufacturers have developed dark chocolate bars that are 99 percent cocoa. CalorieLab recommends getting to that level in a step-wise training program, eating dark chocolate progressively higher in cocoa content to acclimate your taste buds. MayoClinic.com states that dark chocolates that contain 60 percent cocoa or higher give you the health benefits you need.
Fats
Even the fats in cocoa may have health benefits in moderation, Harvard Health Publications reports. Around 33 percent of the fat in cocoa butter is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is the same fat found in olive oil. Unsaturated fats appear to have a protective heart effect by lowering cholesterol levels. Another 33 percent of the fat comes from stearic acid, a saturated fat that does not appear to raise cholesterol levels because it breaks down into oleic acid. The third type of fat, a saturated fat called palmitic acid, can raise cholesterol levels. Cholesterol does not rise after eating dark chocolate, however, Harvard Health reports.
Calories
Most of the clinical trials on the benefits of dark chocolate have used a 100 g dose, or the equivalent of 1.5 bars per day, Harvard Health Publications reports. Eating that much dark chocolate every day could add 500 calories to your daily intake, enough to add an additional pound per week to your weight. Eat dark chocolate sparingly to avoid wiping out all the antioxidant benefits by adding risks from weight gain.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Small, Sweet and Healthful: A Square of Dark Chocolate a Day Offers Benefits; August 2008
- The Heart; Eating Dark Chocolate Reduces CRP; Lisa Nainggolan; September 2008
- CalorieLab: Lindt, Meiji Seika Debut Super Chocolate Bars: 99% Cocoa
- Harvard Health Publications: Chocolate and Your Health: Guily Pleasure or Terrific Treat?; 2009
- American Heart Association: Inflammation, Heart Disease and Stroke: The Role of C-Reactive Protein; 2011
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