Much to the delight of chocolate lovers everywhere, chocolate is beginning to be considered a healthy food. However, the health contributions of chocolate depend on the type of chocolate you choose. Dark chocolate is usually the better bet, but it varies greatly, so you should read the labels once you know what factors to look for.
Antioxidants
Chocolate is made from cocoa, which contains flavanols, a class of flavonoid antioxidant. Flavanols are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, as they lower blood pressure, enhance your vascular function and lower damage to cells that might cause heart disease, according to the website ResearchPennState. You will find more flavanols in dark chocolate than milk chocolate, which is one reason dark chocolate is touted as healthy. The MayoClinic.com notes that research is not yet conclusive on the heart benefits of chocolate.
Fat and Calories
Both dark and milk chocolate contain high amounts of fat from cocoa butter. Cocoa butter contains stearic and palmitic acids, which are saturated fats. Although saturated fat generally increases cholesterol levels, stearic acid does not seem to have that effect. Palmitic acid can affect your cholesterol, but there is not as much of it as of the other fats in chocolate, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Three ounces of dark chocolate contain about 450 calories. Because of the fat and calorie levels, eat chocolate in moderation and substitute it for other food instead of adding it to your diet.
Ingredients
Dark chocolate choices often do not include many added ingredients, whereas milk chocolate contains milk or cream and more often contains flavors and a higher level of sweeteners. "Bon Appetit" explains that dark chocolate can be any type of chocolate that does not have milk added to its ingredients, such as unsweetened, semisweet and bittersweet. Dark chocolate often contains sugar, lecithin and vanilla, along with chocolate liquor, which is a mix of cocoa and cocoa butter. For the healthiest chocolate, choose the dark chocolate varieties with a cocoa content of 65 percent or higher, as advised by MayoClinic.com. Further, avoid chocolate with caramel and other unhealthy fillings, and choose products with nuts for added nutrition. White chocolate does not contain chocolate liquor or cocoa powder and is therefore lacking in the health benefits attributed to cocoa solids.
Processing
Although dark chocolate is generally healthier than milk chocolate, if either type is Dutch processed, the health benefits decline. Dutch-processed dark or milk chocolate does not have as many antioxidants due to the processing with alkali. ResearchPennState advises researching the method a company uses to make its chocolate. Currently, more labels tell you the amount of antioxidants, so it is easier to know the healthy choice.