Is Chocolate Healthy?

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To eat or not to eat (chocolate that is)? Along with caffeine and red wine, the debate rages over this sweet treat. While the delicious dessert may be packed with antioxidants, the high sugar content of most processed bars offsets many of those benefits^[1]. However, with a little compromise, there’s a way to have (chocolate) cake and eat it too.

Chocolate Cheat Sheet — Why It Matters

Cacao, the base of chocolate, can be a healthy addition to most diets. In its natural form, cacao can lower blood pressure, increase sensitivity to insulin, improve circulation, and increase anti-oxidization of the blood^[2]. This is thanks to its flavonoids, plant-based compounds that help repair plants and protect them from environmental toxins^[3]. Basically, flavonoids protect the body like they protect plants by fighting off free radicals and slowing the formation of plaque, thereby reducing the risk of coronary disease^[4]. 

The Bitter(sweet) Truth — The Answer/Debate

But don’t get chocolate wasted just yet. Extensive processing, as well as added sugar and milk, often strip cacao of its nutritional one-two punch, causing a potential superfood rockstar to drop to a fallen idol status. Luckily, healthy options exists, giving chocolate a chance to redeem itself.

When faced with the choice of white, milk, or dark chocolate, go dark. Whole milk makes up the majority of milk chocolate may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants^[5]. To stave off added fat and excess sugar, look for dark chocolate with cacao content above 70%— the higher the cacao content, the better. But be warned, dark chocolate tends to be more bitter than its milky counterpart. 

Another chocolate worth going cuckoo for: raw chocolate, a dairy-free, unprocessed option. Raw chocolate bars are often sweetened with agave or palm sugar, which have a lower glycemic index than cane sugar. Raw chocolate packs a distinct, deep flavor paired with a ruthless stab at the wallet, but luckily, a little goes a long way. Look for raw chocolate at local health food stores in bar or powder form. Heat the powder with water or almond milk, and sweeten with stevia for some homemade hot chocolate. Or, let these guys handle it.

To get the benefits of cacao without the bulk, reach for cacao nibs, dry-roasted cacao beans with a nutty flavor. Try sprinkling the nibs atop a dessert or in a smoothie for a little extra kick.

At the end of the day, even the best kinds of chocolate are healthy only in moderation. So feel free to indulge lightly, but don’t overdo it!

Certainty Level

Rihanna: “I don’t care. I love the smell of it!”

Originally posted May 11, 2011. Updated August 2011

1. Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease. D., Katz, Doughty K, Ali A. Yale University Prevention Research Center, Derby, Connecticut. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 2011 Apr 7. [↩]
2. Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease. D., Katz, Doughty K, Ali A. Yale University Prevention Research Center, Derby, Connecticut. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 2011 Apr 7. [↩]
3. Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health. Steinberg, FM., Bearden, MM., Keen, CL. Didactic Program in Dietetics, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2003 Feb; 103(2):215-23. [↩]
4. Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health. Steinberg, FM., Bearden, MM., Keen, CL. Didactic Program in Dietetics, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2003 Feb; 103(2):215-23. [↩]
5. Effects of low habitual cocoa intake on blood pressure and bioactive nitric oxide: a randomized controlled trial. Taubert, D., Roesen, R., Lehmann, C. Department of Pharmacology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. The Journal of the American Medical Association 2007 Jul 4;298(1):49-60. [↩]