Is Chocolate Really Good for You?
Chocolate contains varying amounts of plant-based nutrients, new research examines its health benefits
Evidence of chocolate’s benefits, although tenuous, is adding up
When it comes to chocolate, I’m well aware that confirmation bias may be playing tricks on many of us – on me specifically. New evidence of chocolate’s benefits is searched for, interpreted favorably and given space in the busy brains of all of those who wish it to be true.
The evidence, if somewhat tenuous, is adding up though. Many of the better studies about the health benefits study cocoa, not chocolate as such.
But a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is actually about chocolate. The study looked at the chocolate consumption of almost 190,000 US veterans – veterans all receive care in a national integrated healthcare system, so their medical data is comprehensive and uniform.
Chocolate consumption was associated with an 8-12 percent lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. The lower risk odds remained when adjusting for age, sex, hypertension or diabetes.
This study finds that consistent intake of chocolate is associated with lower risk of heart disease. Which chocolate works? This study didn’t differentiate between milk and dark, has no information about cocoa or flavonoid content, nor does it draw any conclusions on the amounts linked with benefits.
This study’s results are similar to those of another in a European population of about 20,000, which found that higher chocolate intake is associated with a 12 percent lower incidence of heart disease.
A recent meta-analysis of 14 studies also found lower risk of cardiovascular illness among chocolate eaters, but the linear dose-response benefits maxed at about 100 grams a week (about 3 ounces), and higher levels didn’t confer further benefits.
These are observational trials, but there are also randomized trials that substantiate the benefits of chocolate. A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials of cocoa products showed that they reduce blood pressure when compared to the control group.
Good news is always welcome
Chocolate lovers devour proof of chocolate’s health benefits.
Chocolate and candy manufacturers like it even more. They like it so much they spend generously on research to find links between chocolate and health. An expose in Vox describes how millions of dollars in corporate-sponsored research produced scientific, peer-reviewed papers about the benefits of cocoa.
And indeed, cocoa has been found to lower the risk of heart disease, autoimmune disorders, cognitive decline and diabetes, and is even linked with lower body weight.
But by the time these studies are presented in popular media in bite-size portions, cocoa turns into chocolate, and associations turn into wellness advice.
Want an example? There are several studies that demonstrate cocoa’s ability to improve cognitive function. A study in Nature Neuroscience finds improved cognitive functioning in middle aged people, who drank a mixture rich in cocoa’s flavonols for three months. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 90 elderly people free of cognitive impairment tested the effect of three cocoa drinks: with high, medium or low flavonol content. The intermediate and high flavonol drinks improved cognitive performance, as well as blood pressure and insulin resistance. Another similar study in 90 people with cognitive decline demonstrated that intermediate and high cocoa flavonol drinks improved verbal fluency and increased the speed of mental processing when compared to the volunteers tested with a low flavonol drink.
These are encouraging, interesting findings about cocoa, not about chocolate. The cacao bean is just one – and the most nutritious – of the ingredients in chocolate, and people don’t eat plain cocoa. Headlines such as “Chocolate Protects Against Alzheimer’s” and “Chocolate Makes You Smarter” take these studies’ findings a little far.
When you need a treat
Chocolate contains varying amounts of nutritious plant-based food. It’s almost guaranteed that when you study a whole plant-based food you’ll discover health benefits. Cocoa beans are seeds, and seeds are ordinarily sources of beneficial phytochemicals that protect the seed and enable its development into a full-grown plant. In the case of cocoa, much of the research centers on cocoa flavonols. Flavonols are abundant in many foods, including onions, kale, grapes tea and apples.
That's why we should eat lots of whole plant foods.
As to treats – and I for one do need them – I like them sweet.
If you enjoy chocolate rest assured that it’s healthier than a donut or Starbursts, or Skittles. It definitely makes my own heart sing. If you want to aid heart health, however, there are clearer – sugar-free – ways to get those beneficial nutrients.
Dr. Ayala
“In the case of cocoa, much of the research centers on cocoa flavonols. Flavonols are abundant in many foods, including onions, kale, grapes tea and apples. That’s why we should eat lots of whole plant foods. ”