Buzz
We've seen the claims time and again, and now that February is here, they’ve returned: Chocolate is packed with antioxidants, and its health benefits are widely acknowledged. It's undeniably good for you, right? Well, not exactly. Let's take a deeper dive.
"Superfood" is more of a marketing term than a real nutritional concept.
In terms of nutrition, the term "superfood" lacks real meaning. Marketers and media often hype up foods by highlighting a single nutrient and dubbing them "superfoods." As Mother Jones points out, the food industry thrives on boom-and-bust cycles driven by health trends, because selling food would otherwise be pretty dull: 300 million people need food every year. Not exactly thrilling.
Studies have only demonstrated modest health effects, usually related to cocoa extracts or sometimes dark chocolate, yet marketers use these findings to sell products like milk chocolate, smoothie mixes, snacks, and even high-end candy. These health claims encourage us to consume more and believe the products are healthier than they really are. This psychological phenomenon is known as the "health halo."
In Europe, the term 'superfood' can't be used on labels unless it is supported by scientific proof. This regulation does not apply in the United States.
Where do Chocolate Studies originate from?
Guess who funds many of the studies investigating the health benefits of cocoa? Nestle, Mars, and the research arm of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America. While the source of funding doesn't necessarily imply the results will be incorrect or biased—especially when researchers are affiliated with universities—one researcher in a different field, genetically modified crops, mentioned at a conference I attended: 'Industry funding doesn't influence the results, but it does shape the questions being asked.'
This may explain why chocolate continues to be such a prominent subject every year, even though it isn't the only food rich in antioxidants.
There's a reason you're hearing about chocolate now. Interest in its health benefits tends to rise around February each year. Valentine's Day serves as a timely hook for the news, and companies are eager to convince you that chocolate is something you should consume this time of year. While you'd see it in stores anyway and might buy some on impulse, you're now reminded that it's actually good for you. So, it's not even a treat, right? It's almost like a health food.
What Do the Research Findings Actually Reveal?
There is an abundance of research on chocolate and cocoa, and while I can't cover every claim, let's tackle some of the most significant ones.
Chocolate does contain a substantial amount of antioxidants. When measured in vitro (think lab tests, not real-world human trials), dark chocolate boasts an oxygen radical absorbance capacity, or ORAC value, of 20,816. This places it above raspberries, pecans, and ginger but below sorghum, acai, rose hips, and certain spices. However, the issue is that the USDA ceased publishing ORAC data in 2012 because ORAC values don't align with biological activity. Essentially, these values are trivial.
Is cocoa beneficial for heart health? Well, somewhat. A Cochrane summary indicates that cocoa products (including moderate amounts of dark chocolate in some studies) can lower blood pressure by two to three points. However, none of the randomized controlled trials lasted long-term, and none of them assessed critical outcomes such as heart attacks or mortality rates. Still, lowering blood pressure by a couple of points is better than nothing, right?
As for the rest of the claims... eh, there's no solid consensus of high-quality evidence backing the idea that chocolate aids weight loss, enhances athletic performance, alleviates depression, or offers other widely touted benefits. Yes, there are individual studies showing some promise for certain conditions. People who skim this post will likely share these studies in the comments, using them as misguided counterarguments. (Go ahead, prove me wrong!) Could future studies support these initial findings? Maybe. Stay tuned for more research results down the line.
To further disappoint you, I must point out a sad truth about many of these studies: they don't always involve actual chocolate.
One doctor who supervised a trial investigating cocoa antioxidants on memory told CBC News during their insightful chocolate mythbusting episode:
"[The high-flavonol substance used in our study] isn't chocolate. It comes from cocoa beans, which might explain the confusion. While chocolate itself contains small amounts of these cocoa flavonols, they are present in minimal quantities. As a physician, I'm concerned by headlines suggesting 'Eat chocolate.' That's not my recommendation."
In articles promoting the health benefits of chocolate, you'll often encounter terms like "cocoa," "cacao," or "extract." These terms indicate that the substance studied wasn't the actual chocolate bar, but rather a purified version that's not readily available for purchase.
Which Type of Chocolate Should You Choose for Health Benefits?
At this point, most articles usually include a disclaimer to avoid eating too much chocolate due to its high fat and sugar content. I'll skip that part. Chocolate is delicious, so I say enjoy as much as you want. (Go ahead, I'll wait.) You ate it because it tastes great, not because you believe it'll magically make you healthier.
Let's assume you do want to reap the health benefits. Maybe you're aiming to lower your blood pressure by a couple of points, or perhaps you're hoping that one day, they'll announce that chocolate is the secret to weight loss. Which type of chocolate is the best choice?
In theory, minimally-processed cocoa powder has the highest antioxidant content. But suggesting we use cocoa powder instead of chocolate overlooks the fact that no one eats spoonfuls of cocoa powder directly. If you're baking muffins or stirring some into sweetened oatmeal, you're not really comparing dark chocolate with cocoa powder. You're comparing dark chocolate to chocolate-flavored muffins and chocolate-flavored oatmeal. One WebMD article on the health benefits of chocolate even includes a recipe for chocolate raspberry pound cake.
By the time cocoa is processed into chocolate bars, much of its flavonol content (a class of antioxidants commonly studied) has been lost. As the researcher mentioned in the news segment, the amount of potentially beneficial compounds in chocolate bars is nearly negligible. Still, some blood pressure studies have shown tangible benefits from consuming dark chocolate.
In laboratory settings, at least, the antioxidant content of chocolate correlates with its cocoa percentage. The US FDA requires chocolate to contain at least 35% cocoa to be classified as dark. Many premium chocolate brands label their cocoa content. In my local store, Green & Black's boasts 70% cocoa (60% for the flavored varieties), Lindt offers 70% and 85%, and Ghirardelli's "midnight reverie" comes in at 86%. On the other hand, Hershey's Special Dark contains only 45% cocoa.
Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate contains less sugar, more fat, and more fiber. Swapping from Green & Black's milk chocolate (which is fairly high at 34%) to its 70% dark chocolate will increase your fat intake from 13 to 17 grams and decrease your sugar intake from 19 to 11 grams.
The Bottom Line: Is Chocolate Beneficial For Your Health?
It all comes down to why you're indulging. If you're aiming to manage your blood pressure and have already committed to diet and exercise, but just want a little extra boost, go ahead and enjoy a square of chocolate daily and see if it makes a difference.
If your goal is to stay slim and healthy in a general sense, or to improve things like memory, athletic performance, happiness, or skin health, chocolate won't provide much assistance.
If you're using the health claims around chocolate as an excuse to overeat, then the 'superfood' label does more harm than good.
But here’s the thing: You don’t need anyone's approval to savor chocolate (or anything else for that matter). It’s perfectly fine to decide to eat chocolate just because it’s delicious and work that into your diet (or even consider it a small slip-up and recover gracefully). No need to pretend it’s healthy. Just enjoy it.
Photos by Martin Cooper, Mike Mozart, Jim Bauer, US Navy, Clint Budd.
