Chocolate: the health food?

It seems that every few months, the media joyfully proclaim that yet another study has ‘proven’ chocolate’s health prowess. But what does the science actually say?

Cocoa solids and the chocolates that contain them—particularly the dark varieties—have long been espoused as a rich natural source of antioxidants. Cocoa solids contain a range of flavonoids and phenols such as epicatechin and gallic acid—antioxidant substances that work to reduce cellular and arterial damage and even ageing. However, many of these compounds are diluted and altered in the chocolate-making process. So while the unprocessed cacao seed appears to be good for you, the finished chocolate may not be quite so much.

Yet despite chocolate having lower levels of flavonoids, some of the antioxidant benefits may remain. By contrast, white chocolate, which contains no cocoa solids at all, consequently contains almost no antioxidant flavonoids.

Despite all of this, researchers have noted that cocoa consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly through effects on blood vessel function, and anti-inflammatory properties. A 2012 review of several studies also found the consumption of cocoa products may help to lower blood pressure slightly.

But before you get too excited and start to dramatically increase your chocolate consumption, it’s worth noting that there are several weaknesses with many of these studies.

Firstly, most of them are observational, meaning participants answered questions about their health and chocolate consumption, and their responses were used by researchers to draw statistical connections. While we can obtain some insights from this information, they do not clearly prove cause and effect. There may be other reasons why the same people who like to eat chocolate also have fewer heart-attacks, such as socioeconomic, mood, lifestyle, psychological or other factors.

Other studies were of short duration with no follow-up studies conducted, or consisted of participants consuming high doses of chocolate, many times a day. We must be cautious of assuming long-term positive effects based on small differences identified in a research setting.

Moreover, the ‘health’ benefits of chocolate products need to be weighed against its potentially unhealthy aspects—namely its high calorific intake thanks to its fat and sugar content, and the fact that it's very easy to eat more than the recommended daily amount.

As with most things, it’s moderation that’s the key. A small piece of dark chocolate each day, when eaten as part of a balanced diet, won't greatly improve your health, but it won't hurt either. And it might just lift your mood.