5 Sweet Health Benefits of Chocolate

Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS

Written By Allison Firestone on September 2, 2021

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  Chocolate’s Rich Rewards

  Recent studies have revealed new health benefits of eating chocolate—and not just the dark kind. There’s an expanding body of research outlining the sweet treat’s power when it comes to staying healthy and keeping your mind sharp.
  
  
  Like other superfoods, chocolate is packed with disease-fighting properties. And, as it turns out, you can get many benefits from both the dark and minimally processed milk and powdered varieties. So chocolate lovers rejoice! Here are five ways a daily dose of chocolate can boost your overall health.
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  Maintaining Heart Health

  Chocolate can play a key role in reducing your risk of heart disease. And it doesn’t take much. One study found that adults who ate slightly less than an ounce of chocolate each day had lower rates of heart disease than those who didn’t eat any. While more research is needed to pinpoint exactly how chocolate is doing this, it’s clear the type of chocolate you eat isn’t important; positive effects showed up for both light and dark varieties.
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  Controlling Cholesterol

  Chocolate’s antioxidants seem to protect against plaque buildup on your artery walls, too. A study in the Journal of Nutrition linked regular chocolate consumption with reduced LDL cholesterol, the unhealthy type that builds up in arteries. Two elements of chocolate—stearic and oleic acid—are thought to be the ingredients that keep cholesterol levels in check. Here, dark chocolate has the advantage: Comparative studies have linked darker chocolate to the strongest cholesterol-lowering effects.
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  Easing Blood Pressure

  Eating a small square of chocolate that contains 50 to 70% cocoa on a daily basis can help lower your blood pressure, especially if you have hypertension. When blood pressure—the force pushing out on your artery walls—remains high for a long time, arteries become stretched and even damaged. Chocolate combats this with flavonoids, nutrients that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers. These cause blood vessels to dilate, improving blood flow to the brain and heart and reducing blood pressure
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  Preventing Cognitive Decline

  Drinking two cups of hot chocolate each day can improve brain health and prevent memory decline. A Harvard Medical School study showed that chocolate increased blood flow in particular areas of the brain, improving cognitive function in adults. Research has also shown that people who consume chocolate each day have improved attention, memory, and executive function.
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  Maintaining a Healthy Weight

  Regularly eating chocolate can actually help you make healthy diet choices. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that after eating chocolate, particularly the darker version, people experienced fewer cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods, and they felt more satiated overall. This means indulging in a bit of dark chocolate on a regular basis can not only leave you feeling happy and satisfied—it can also help you stick to a healthy diet.

5 Sweet Health Benefits of Chocolate

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