Is Chocolate Heart Healthy?

Introduction

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month (February) where it’s estimated 58 million pounds of chocolate are sold every year, it’s worth investigating chocolate since it’s one of America’s top treats.  There are so many health benefits when we consume chocolate, right? But where do the health claims come from?  Let’s explore the answers to these questions for chocolate lovers, like me—so you can choose the best chocolate with confidence for yourself.

In general, the claims are based on the measurable amounts of antioxidants found in chocolate.

I’ve researched this topic multiple times in the past and most recently for my own knowledge and now want to share what I learned with you.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are made in your body and without getting too scientific, they help the cells in your body fight off damage caused by harmful molecules known as free radicals—unstable molecules that cause illness and aging.  We need both antioxidants and free radicals to be in balance.

Where do free radicals come from?

Free radicals mainly come from our environment (pollutants, pesticides, solvents, ozone, ultraviolet radiation (overexposure to direct sunlight), stress, smoking, and the list goes on.  You can’t avoid the environment, but you can limit some exposure.  A build-up of free radicals in the body can increase the risk of disease and some cancers.

Increasing antioxidants can help reduce free radicals and one way this can be done is through your diet.  This is where chocolate enters the story.

Chocolate and antioxidants

Chocolate is made from the seed of Theobroma cacao trees known as a bean.  It takes 400 beans to make one pound of chocolate.  The darker the chocolate—the higher the cacao content and antioxidants.  Antioxidants can be measured in food.  It’s cacao that is measured for antioxidants. Dark chocolate has more levels of antioxidants than blueberries and strawberries, hence the reason why we hear so much about dark chocolate and its health benefits.

Other nutrients found in chocolate

Raw cacao, chocolate in its purest form, unprocessed contains protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper, fiber, and Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, & E.  That said, the chocolate we eat is made from cocoa which is processed—roasted from the bean.  We still reap the benefits from cacao, just not as pure in its raw form.  Let’s face it, not many people would eat raw cacao due to its bitterness.

What to look for when choosing chocolate

Look for minimal ingredients with the first being cacao.  This will be followed by some type of sugar and then fat.

Cacao: 70% or higher – first ingredient

Sugar: cane or coconut

Fat: cacao butter

Ingredients to avoid:

Avoidable ingredients: trans-fat, oils, milk, artificial flavorings, high sugar content, alkalized or dutched dark chocolate.  This is a process method that is used to reduce the bitter flavor of the cacao which also reduces the benefits of antioxidants.  Avoid labels with “cocoa processed with alkali.”

Avoid PGPR which is a food additive and not natural—found in many chocolate bars.

It’s dark chocolate that contains the highest antioxidants, not milk chocolate.  Look for 70% or higher with cacao. Sugar is added to balance the bitter taste of pure cacao.  The higher the cacao the less sugar.   The fat should come from cacao butter, not oil. 

Top brands that meet the health claims. (not cheap!)

Taza Chocolate 70% – Ingredients: Organic cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Amano 70% – Ingredients: Cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole vanilla bean

Bixby & Co. 70% – Ingredients:  Organic Cacao beans, organic cane sugar

Vivani 75% – Ingredients: cocoa mass, coconut blossom sugar, cocoa butter

Theo 70% – Ingredients: cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, sea salt (reasonably priced)

Mast 80% – Ingredients: Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, organic vanilla bean (reasonably priced)

Second Choices:

Valrhona 70% – Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla extract

Righteous Cacao 83% – Ingredients: Organic raw cacao, organic raw agave nectar, organic raw coconut oil, organic raw vanilla bean

Ghirardelli 72% – Ingredients: unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, soy lecithin (not the best ingredients, but no heavy metals detected!)

Brands to avoid at this time.

At the time of writing this post, several companies are facing lawsuits due to unsafe levels of heavy metals found in some dark chocolate products, according to Consumer Reports in December 2022.

“Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao and The Dark Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate 85% Cacao” contained high levels of lead and cadmium.  “Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate” was also reported to have high levels along with “Lily’s Extra Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa and Extreme Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa” owned by Hershey.

Lead is toxic to humans and chronic exposure is associated with kidney issues, high blood pressure, and neurocognitive effects (processing information in the brain).  Cadmium can affect the kidneys, liver, and bones.  The good news is only a minor amount of cadmium remains in the body after ingestion.

Other brands

Consumer Reports also found select brands with high levels of lead or cadmium for Lindt, Godiva, Dove and Chcoclove.  For a detailed listing check out Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate.

Conclusion

Although chocolate is high in antioxidants, it’s also high in calories due to its added sugar and fat content.  It’s a treat to be savored in small doses.  Read the label and eat less than the recommended serving.  Save the rest for another time when you want a sweet treat.

After reading this blog post, you should feel confident when purchasing your next chocolate bar and know you’ve made an informed decision about your health.

In optimal health,

Lisa