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Originally published February 13, 2025
Last updated February 18, 2025
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Chocolate has developed an almost sinful reputation over the years. (They donβt call it βdevilβs foodβ for nothing.) But on the wellness benefits of dark chocolate in particular suggests that this treat might be more superfood than guilty pleasure, especially when it comes to the heart.
Danielle Trafficanda-Raynor, MS, RDN, is a clinical dietitian with ίχίδΙηΗψ and . As a self-professed sweet tooth β βI love anything sweet!β she confesses β she has reviewed the research and explains how you can have your chocolate and keep your heart healthy, too.
βSuperfoodβ or not, dark chocolate definitely boasts some βsuper qualities,β Trafficanda-Raynor says. And first among them is that it contains antioxidants.
βAntioxidants in general help with neutralizing free radicals, which can cause chaos in the body,β she says. βBy neutralizing free radicals, dark chocolateβs antioxidants reduce the chance that our cells and their DNA will get damaged. Thatβs one preventative measure.β
But the antioxidants in dark chocolate arenβt just any old antioxidants; theyβre , and flavonoids help increase levels of nitric oxide β a compound that can help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. βSo, itβs good for the heart in that sense, too,β Trafficanda-Raynor says.
In general, dark chocolate delivers an antioxidant payload two to three times greater than that found in milk chocolate β which makes sense when you consider that chocolateβs antioxidants βliveβ in the cacao. And the more cacao a chocolate contains, the darker it is.
Some background: Cacao refers to the three cocoa-bean byproducts used to make chocolate β namely, the ground cocoa nib, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The percentage cacao content you might see on a barβs label β 35%, 70%, even 100% β specifies how much of those three components, by weight, the bar contains.
βBy definition,β Trafficanda-Raynor continues, βdark chocolate has to be at least 50% cacao content.β And if itβs that cacao that contains the antioxidants, βThe higher the percentage of cacao, the more health benefits there are.β
Even better, a higher cacao content usually corresponds to less added sugar β something that most of us could use less of. But less sugar need not mean less deliciousness. As Trafficanda-Raynor says, βIf you were to get a 90%-cacao dark chocolate, it would be a lot less sweet than 50% β but it would still be good!β
Trafficanda-Raynor suggests picking bars with at least 70% cacao content if you want to reap the heart health benefits. And keep moderation in mind: βYou only need about one to three ounces of a good-quality dark chocolate to get these benefits.β
In addition to considering cacao content, you should also choose dark-chocolate products with less sugar, she adds.
βAnd when youβre looking for dark chocolate, you want to make sure that itβs a dark-chocolate bar,β she emphasizes. In other words, keep it simple. With the exception of fruits and nuts, she counsels caution around inclusions. Once we start gravitating toward bars filled with mini peanut-butter cups or caramel-coated candies, she says, βthatβs when we lose perspective on what can be healthy for us.β
Speaking of perspective, βItβs not going to cure you. Youβre not going to eat an ounce of dark chocolate a day and see a significant decrease in blood pressure. It needs to be a part of an overall healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise,β Trafficanda-Raynor says. And if you donβt already enjoy the occasional dark-chocolate reward, she doesnβt recommend developing the habit purely for your heart.
After all, dark chocolateβs antioxidant portfolio isnβt unique. βYou can get these same benefits from a healthy diet,β Trafficanda-Raynor says. βYour fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have more-powerful combinations of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.β
Whatβs her bottom line? βIf youβre going to eat chocolate, make it dark,β she says. βIf I had a patient who said, βI need something sweet at the end of the day; what would you recommend?β Iβd tell them that one to two ounces of dark chocolate may be beneficial and can curb that sweet craving. Melt it over fruit like bananas or berries, and youβll get an extra punch of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals.β
And she gets it: βWe donβt want to deprive ourselves. But you have to keep it simple and in moderation.β
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