Five reasons to snack on dark chocolate

The cocoa bean from the Theobroma cacao tree was first harvested, processed and enjoyed by the indigenous people of Mesoamerica around 1,500 years ago. Even today, the local people shell, ferment, roast and grind the beans to make cocoa based drinks.

Cocoa arrived in Europe in the 1500’s and is now enjoyed world-wide, largely in the form of chocolate, but cocoa powder is also used as an ingredient in many foods and drinks including our own Rich Cocoa Superflora Shakes and Gut-friendly Hot Chocolates. There are three types of chocolate, white, milk and dark chocolate, with increasing amounts of cocoa bean derived ingredients.

Indigenous people have long believed in the health promoting benefits of the cocoa bean, and there is now a growing body of scientific and medical research to back this up. Cocoa first raised the interest of medical researchers after they observed the good health and long lifespans of the Guna (or Kuna) people from the San Blas islands off Panama. The islanders consume over 3 cups of cocoa a day. They have low blood pressure and don’t experience a rise in blood pressure as they age. They also have much lower rates of diabetes and are less likely to die from heart disease and cancer compared to people in Western Societies. Guna people that have moved to mainland Panama experience much higher rates of high blood pressure than those that have remained on the islands.

But why? Whilst other diet and lifestyle factors may play a part, recent research has indicated that the potent mix of nutrients found in the cocoa the islanders drink is highly beneficial to health. The same is true for dark chocolate. Other types of chocolate have less cocoa bean content and so offer fewer benefits.

So what exactly is it in the cocoa or dark chocolate that is so beneficial? Biochemists, nutritionists and medical scientists have looked at many of the biochemicals in cocoa and chocolate to understand their effects on the body. The strongest evidence is for beneficial effects on cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health, and it appears that four components are particularly important:

1. Dark Chocolate is loaded with flavonoids that can reduce blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke

Cocoa and dark chocolate are rich in a type of plant phenols called flavonoids. Cocoa contains lots of different flavonoids, but research has focused on a sub-group called flavanols that have antioxidant effects. For example, dark chocolate contains high levels of epicatechin, an antioxidant that also influences the amount of nitric oxide found in the lining of blood vessels and reduces inflammation. All these effects lead to healthier blood vessels, lower blood pressure and less atherosclerosis (build up of cholesterol plaque in arteries). This reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

There may be other benefits from these plant chemicals. There is some evidence that the phenolic antioxidants in cocoa and dark chocolate may also influence insulin resistance and reduce the risk of diabetes. However, it's important to note that milk and white chocolate contain added sugar and saturated fat, which likely offset the benefits (see below).

There are also laboratory studies to suggest that the antioxidant effects of epicatechin and other flavanols may also influence the immune system, reduce cancer risk and protect nerves from injury and inflammation. More clinical trials in these research areas are needed to confirm these findings.

2. Dark chocolate contains (mostly) healthy fats

Where does the fat come from in chocolate? Initial processing of cocoa beans involves creating a paste of the ground, roasted, shelled and fermented cocoa beans. This paste is called cocoa liquor or cocoa mass and is about half cocoa solids and half cocoa butter. As the name suggests, it’s the cocoa butter that contains high levels of fats and also provides the rich, indulgent texture that we all love.

Cocoa solids are ground to make cocoa powder and a combination of cocoa solids and cocoa butter are used to make chocolate.

Dark chocolate is made with just cocoa mass plus additional cocoa butter, vanilla and a small amount of emulsifier. It has a high percentage (usually 70-85%) of cocoa solids.

The creamy cocoa butter contributes mostly healthy fats to dark chocolate. It has a mixture of monosaturated and saturated fats. The monosaturated fat is oleic acid, the same heart health promoting fat found in olive oil. And half the saturated fat is stearic acid, which is not a cholesterol raising fat.

Milk and white chocolate have milk and extra sugar added, which dilutes the balance of healthy fats.

3. Dark chocolate is rich in minerals needed to maintain blood vessel function

Dark chocolate is packed with essential minerals that are vital for maintaining healthy blood vessels. Magnesium, copper, potassium and calcium act to lower high blood pressure and reduce atherosclerosis.

One mineral that stands out in dark chocolate is magnesium. A 100g serving of dark chocolate can provide around 176mg of magnesium, which is around half of your recommended daily intake. Magnesium is important in regulating your heart rate and keeping your muscles and nerves firing correctly. It literally, keeps your heart beating.

4. Dark chocolate contains heart friendly fibre

The husk of the cocoa bean is very rich in fibre, but this is removed before the bean is processed to make dark chocolate. We have included some ground cocoa husk in the special fibre blend in our Rich Cocoa Chocolate Superflora gut health shakes. It provides additional chocolatey flavour as well as fibre.

The cocoa bean itself also contains fibre. Even after the full manufacturing process is complete, a 100-kcal portion of dark chocolate contains 1.7 g of fibre. This is mainly soluble fibre, the type that lowers blood cholesterol. It may also help with blood sugar control..

5. Added benefit – it makes you happier!

So what is the 5th reason to snack on dark chocolate – well this may go without saying, but an added benefit of dark chocolate is that it tastes great and simply makes you happier.

In the short term this is likely primarily due to the delicious taste and texture, but it is possible that the phenols have some long term effects on mood. A 2019 American study found that people who ate dark chocolate were less likely to suffer from clinical depression. It’s unclear quite what causes what in this relationship - are happier people more likely to eat chocolate or does chocolate improve mood?

Whatever the scientists end up deciding, we are pretty sure that dark chocolate improves our quality of life and we include it in our diets as the number one ingredient for joyful eating.

But where does gut health come in?

It turns out there is a two-way interplay between the gut microbiome and the health benefits of cocoa and dark chocolate.

Gut bacteria are needed to increase the bioavailability of the health promoting  flavanols. In turn, cocoa or dark chocolate in the diet acts as a prebiotic – a food for good bacteria. They enhance the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, while reducing the number of pathogenic ones, such as Clostridium perfringens.

How much?

Just a few squares a day seems optimal. Most of the clinical studies we looked at involved consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate (less than 20g) to provide beneficial effects and certainly consuming too much could add excessive calories and saturated fat to your diet.

Monash recommend a low-FODMAP serving size of 30g, but its appears that this is more about not consuming excess energy rather than FODMAPs per se. The FODMAP Friendly app indicates that the maximum low-FODMAP serving size of dark chocolate is 101g.

Best ways to enjoy your chocolate

Are you looking for some different ways to enjoy your chocolate? Try chocolate dipped strawberries. The strawberries are rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins to boost antioxidant intake even further!

Or else, check out our rocky road and amaze ball recipes.

Written by: Dr Mary Webberley, Chief Scientific Officer at Noisy Guts. Mary has a background in biology, with two degrees from the University of Cambridge and post-doctoral research experience. She spent several years undertaking research into the diagnosis of IBS and IBD. She was the winner of the 2018 CSIRO Breakout Female Scientist Award.