Delicious and Surprisingly Healthy: Why Should We Eat Dark Chocolate?

What hasn't been said about chocolate? It has been said that it's fattening, causes pimples, and contains empty calories. However, recent studies confirm that consuming a daily, controlled piece of chocolate benefits our health! For all chocolate lovers, here are a few reasons why you should continue to love it.

In honor of Dark Chocolate Day, the diet department of Studio C provides 5 reasons why we should eat dark chocolate. Which type of chocolate contains the fewest calories? Little Faingertz, a clinical dietitian at Studio C, has the answers.

1. Dark chocolate is good for the heart: Consuming chocolate can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Chocolate helps maintain arterial flexibility and prevents blood cells from adhering to artery walls. The rigidity of arteries and the adherence of white blood cells are significant contributors to atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. A study over 8 years involving 20,000 people found that those who ate more than 4 pieces of chocolate a week had a 27% reduced risk of heart attack and 48% reduced risk of stroke compared to those consuming little chocolate, up to 4 pieces a month.

2. Consuming dark chocolate aids the proliferation of good bacteria in the digestive system: A study by the American Chemical Society found that the good bacteria in our gut use chocolate as a food base. Chocolate is broken down and fermented by the good bacteria, creating anti-inflammatory compounds. When absorbed into the blood, these compounds reduce inflammation in blood vessels and the heart, thus lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The good bacteria studied included types such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria. In fact, these good bacteria help break down polymers of polyphenolic compounds (anti-inflammatory compounds) into smaller molecules, allowing for better absorption into the blood.

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3. Consuming dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure: Dark chocolate, rich in flavanol (an antioxidant), helps lower blood pressure by enhancing blood flow and dilating blood vessels. Consuming cocoa improves cardiovascular function and reduces the load on the heart and the rigidity of arteries, which comes with aging. The study involved four groups: two groups of 22 healthy people under the age of 35, and two groups of 20 healthy people aged 50-80. Each age group was divided into two groups, one consuming flavanol-rich cocoa twice a day for two weeks, and the other receiving a substitute product without flavanol. The study found significant improvements in blood pressure in the flavanol-consuming groups in both age ranges, with a reduction of 4 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure. Even in older ages, significant blood pressure improvements were noted. The study was later conducted on a larger group of 100 participants for a month, also showing significant results. Participants were randomly assigned to groups without knowing their group, and those consuming flavanol-rich cocoa showed increased vessel dilation and a 21% increase in blood flow.

4. Consuming dark chocolate helps reduce bad cholesterol – LDL: A review of hundreds of short-term studies showed that chocolate consumption contributes to a reduction in LDL oxidation (bad cholesterol), reducing overall and bad cholesterol in the blood. It was also found that consumption contributes to an increase in good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. Lower levels of bad cholesterol and higher levels of good cholesterol benefit heart health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

5. Consuming dark chocolate helps increase insulin sensitivity: Consumption of foods rich in flavonoids such as berries, tea, and chocolate has been found to help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The abundant consumption of flavonoid compounds found in chocolate helps increase insulin sensitivity and regulate blood glucose levels.

We asked Little Faingertz whether consuming dark chocolate benefits health, which type of chocolate is considered healthier, and contains fewer calories, and how much is recommended to eat daily?

"When buying chocolate, it is advisable to ensure it contains at least 70% cocoa solids. The more cocoa solids it contains, the less sugar and fat it usually has. Therefore, check how much sugar and fat it contains and prefer the product with less fat and sugar. Sugar-free chocolate often contains more fat to compensate for taste, ultimately resulting in almost the same calorie count as regular chocolate. Moreover, sugar-free chocolate contains sugar alcohols (such as maltitol and sorbitol), which have a 50% reduced caloric value compared to regular sugar but still have caloric value, unlike other sweeteners like stevia with negligible calories, meaning no additional sugar is necessarily added to the chocolate. My conclusion is simple: not only is an apple good for us but consuming a piece of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids daily keeps the doctor away.”