Does Dark Chocolate Help With A Diet?

Diets can be hard to stick to. The more restrictive the diet, the harder it can be to block out cravings for the foods we can't eat. Many people attempt to eliminate treats from their diet altogether to cut down as many calories as possible, but they're not happy. A healthy and balanced diet allows for all things in moderation because feeling deprived can lead dieters off track. Fortunately, research has shown that indulgent dark chocolate can be not only part of a healthy diet, but also help you stay on your diet.

Portion Size

A reasonable portion size of dark chocolate that won't break the calorie bank is 90 to 100 calories per day or less, says Dr. Nickols-Richardson. This is about the size of a credit card. Some examples of servings that fit into this calorie range are an 18 g Hersey's Special Dark bar, two squares of Lindtt Dark chocolate or two Dove chocolate hearts.

Chocolate Health Benefits

For chocolate to provide health benefits, Dr. Nickols-Richardson says approximately 20 g is effective. Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols, a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the heart. Dr. Jeffery Blumberg also points out that various studies have proven dark chocolate as being able to reduce blood pressure, prevent platelet aggregation, prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke, and increase circulation in the heart. Knowing that there are so many benefits of eating dark chocolate should help alleviate the guilt of eating it.

Dark Chocolate and Appetite

A study in "Regulatory Peptides" found that smelling and ingesting chocolate can reduce appetite. The smell of dark chocolate decreases ghrelin, a hormone that increases as appetite increases. "Health Magazine" points out research performed by the University of Copenhagen that found that snacking on chocolate can help you eat less during your next meal. The research suggests that the compounds in chocolate slow digestion and help you feel fuller longer.

Dark Chocolate and Weight Loss

Research performed by Dr. Nickols-Richardson found that when comparing a group of people who received a dark chocolate snack with a group of people who received a non-chocolate snack, weight loss was the same for both groups. When comparing body measurements, however, waist circumference, hip circumference and body fat were lower in the group that ate dark chocolate snacks.