What Makes Dark Chocolate So Healthy?
Did you know that dark chocolate is considered a superfood? It’s true, the delicious treat is packed with unique compounds and health benefits, as long as it’s consumed in moderation. We spoke with nutrition experts to learn how eating dark chocolate can benefit your health and what to look for when shopping to maximize its nutritional value. Our experts also recommend how much dark chocolate to eat to get the benefits—hint, there is no need to finish a bar!
What Exactly Is Dark Chocolate? Dark chocolate is made from cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar, just like regular chocolate, but has a much higher percentage of cocoa solids than your average milk chocolate. There is no FDA standard to define dark chocolate, but according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, milk chocolate is made up of 10 to 50 percent cocoa, while dark chocolate can have anywhere between 50 and 90 percent and usually contains almost no milk. We consulted several nutrition experts who agree that 60 to 70 percent of cocoa is a good aim when choosing dark chocolate that will deliver all the health benefits of cocoa. To maximize benefits, note that higher cocoa content means less sugar and a richer chocolate with more beneficial antioxidants.
Excerpted from Martha Stewart
