Dark Chocolate
Photography and styling by Grain(e)s & co.
Do we need another reason to love chocolate? Let’s still take a closer look as dark chocolate may have more health benefits than you think! So keep reading!
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate & white chocolate
Chocolate is made with cocoa solids - the non-fat part of the cocoa bean. As a general rule, dark chocolate has a higher % of cocoa solids - around 50-80% - while milk chocolate has around 10-40%.
Interestingly, since white chocolate has no cocoa solids but rather cocoa butter, it is technically not chocolate.
Most of the health benefits of chocolate come from the cacao solids as this is the part that is nutrient dense.
Antioxidants - brain, heart & gut health
Dark chocolate contains polyphenols - beneficial plant chemicals - particularly flavonoids, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in cacao.
Flavonoids have been associated with better mood, brain function - brain activity, attention & memory - and heart health - blood pressure & blood cholesterol. On top of this, the polyphenols found in dark chocolate act as a prebiotic, meaning it feeds the good bacteria in our gut. This helps increase the balance and diversity of our gut microbiome, which has many health benefits - such as better digestion & disease prevention.
Keep in mind that dark chocolate's total polyphenol and flavonoid content is around 3-5 times higher than in milk and white chocolate. Flavonoids are found in cacao, so the higher the cocoa content, the more beneficial flavonoids the chocolate contains. Most of the benefits seen in research are with chocolate that has at least 70% cacao content, the majority being with 85% cacao.
Iron & Copper - oxygen & growth
Dark chocolate is a good source of iron and copper, trace elements that our bodies need in small amounts to stay healthy.
It’s important we get iron in our diet as our bodies use iron to make haemoglobin which helps our red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. Iron is also involved in storing oxygen in our muscles and provides it when needed. Copper helps produce red and white blood cells, but also triggers the release of iron so it can form haemoglobins. In addition, both iron and copper support healthy growth and development.
Iron is particularly important for women and people who follow a plant-based diet. This is because iron found in plant foods - non-haem iron - is less readily absorbed than animal-based iron, as it needs an extra chemical conversion within our body to make it absorbable.
Having low iron can lead to anaemia - a low number of red blood cells - which can include symptoms like fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath, among others.
Magnesium - bone, muscles & heart health
Dark chocolate is a source of magnesium, a mineral which we need in relatively large amounts daily.
Among its many roles, magnesium helps convert nutrients into energy, to ensure our cells have the required energy to carry out all their roles and maintain our energy levels. Magnesium also supports our bones and their structure by ensuring our parathyroid glands work normally - to produce hormones for bone health. Finally, magnesium helps our muscles, heart and nervous system function normally by helping carry messages between our brain and body through our nerve cells.
Phosphorus - bone health & energy
Dark chocolate is a good source of phosphorus, a mineral that our bodies need - alongside calcium - to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth.
Phosphorus also plays an important role in helping our bodies produce energy, deliver oxygen throughout our bodies, and form the membrane of our cells.
Manganese - bone health & energy
Dark chocolate contains manganese, a trace element which we only need in small amounts. Manganese is needed to make and activate many enzymes - proteins that help our body carry out chemical reactions like breaking down food.
Manganese also helps bone formation, maintains our energy levels, and can help reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms and menstrual cramps.
Balanced diet
It’s important to remember that although chocolate has many health benefits, it can be quite high in fat and sugar, making it high in calories - whether dark, milk or white. All foods can be part of a healthy balanced diet, including chocolate, meaning as part of a diet that includes a wide range of foods.
The take-home:
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References
McCance & Widdowson. The Composition of Foods integrated dataset 2021. 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid
Samanta S, Sarkar T, Chakraborty R, Rebezov M, Shariati MA, Thiruvengadam M, Rengasamy KRR. Dark chocolate: An overview of its biological activity, processing, and fortification approaches. Curr Res Food Sci. 2022 Oct 15;5:1916-1943. doi: 10.1016/j.crfs.2022.10.017.
Hayek N. Chocolate, gut microbiota, and human health. Front Pharmacol. 2013 Feb 7;4:11. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2013.00011.
British Nutrition Foundation. Is dark chocolate really good for you? Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.nutrition.org.uk/putting-it-into-practice/make-healthier-choices/is-dark-chocolate-really-good-for-you/
NHS. Vitamins and Minerals. NHS Sources. Retrieved February 10, 2023, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/
Penland J.G., Johnson P.E. Dietary calcium and manganese effects on menstrual cycle symptoms. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993; 168(5):1417-23. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(11)90775-3.
