The Beneficial Effects of Dark Chocolate on Heart Health
For most of these people, chocolate is a
guilty pleasure that should only be reserved for the rare special
occasion. This may soon change, as it turns out that compared to other
sweets, chocolate may actually have the upper hand due to its beneficial
effects on heart health and the cardiovascular system.
Not only is chocolate, and dark chocolate
in particular, full of beneficial nutrients in comparison to other
sweets, it also contains much less sugar. Here’s how dark chocolate can
help your heart, and a review of the research to back these claims.
The Beneficial Effects of Dark Chocolate on Heart Health
Chocolate gets all of its health benefits from the cocoa bean. In order
to turn raw cocoa beans into chocolate, they are first fermented, dried,
and roasted. After several steps of processing, cocoa butter and cocoa
powder are derived from the cocoa beans - the two main ingredients of
chocolate. Cocoa powder contains the highest concentration of beneficial
plant substances, hence, the more of it chocolate contains, the
healthier it is.
Dark chocolate consists of 50-90% cocoa powder, some cocoa butter, and
sugar. Milk chocolate, on the other hand, consists of just 10-50% cocoa
powder, cocoa butter, milk, and sugar according to Harvard. Compared to
dark chocolate, milk chocolate contains a lot more sugar and much less
cocoa powder. Therefore, dark chocolate will be more beneficial for
one’s health.
But what specific nutrient makes cocoa powder so healthy for the
cardiovascular system and the heart specifically?
These benefits are derived from the
antioxidants present in cocoa beans. Antioxidants are capable to prevent
and repair cell damage, which is how they are capable of reducing one’s
risk of developing heart disease. The specific antioxidants present in
chocolate are called flavonoids, and they are present in many various
plant foods, such as tea, apples, and even citrus fruit. These flavonoid
antioxidants are capable of lowering blood pressure in people suffering
from hypertension.
One specific subgroup of flavonoids called flavanols are found in
especially high concentrations in dark chocolate, and they are notably
recognized to benefit heart health. According to a 2017 study, published
in the Journal of the American Heart Association, foods high in
flavanols like dark chocolate, almonds, and cocoa are capable of
lowering one’s risk of coronary artery disease.
The participants in this study had a typical American diet, but with an
addition of almonds and dark chocolate. The antioxidant content of these
foods has successfully reduced the risk of heart disease by lowering
the levels of the bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, that clogs up the
arteries and causes atherosclerosis. Therefore, including dark chocolate
and other foods high in flavonols, such as almonds, can benefit your
heart health in the long run.
How Much Chocolate Is Too Much?
The fact that we can enjoy our chocolate
without feeling guilty is certainly great news, but doctors point out
that we shouldn’t overdo it either, or else it may just end up being too
much of a good thing. There is no recommended amount of chocolate you
should be eating every day, as even dark chocolate can be quite high in
calories. Therefore, simply play it by ear and enjoy a bit of chocolate
when you’re craving something sweet. Just make sure that the amount of
chocolate you eat won’t exceed your daily caloric needs.
If you do need a more specific measure, though, most research papers
list dosages of between 43 and 50 grams (1.5-1.4 oz) of dark chocolate
per day. In addition, nearly all papers use dark and not milk chocolate
in the studies because it’s higher in antioxidants and lower in sugar
and hence is considered healthier. For even greater benefits for the
heart and blood pressure, nutritionists recommend also including other
flavonol- and flavonoid-rich foods in your diet, such as almonds,
pistachios, green tea, grapes, berries, scallions, and lettuce.