The Dark Side of Chocolate: Healthy or Hype?

By Shawn McKee
Staff Writer

We all love chocolate, but there is a side of chocolate most people don't see... the dark side. Unlike its lighter-shaded cousins, dark chocolate has spent years as the "other chocolate." But now it's coming out of the shadows and into the forefront of the chocolate revolution -- and, apparently, finding plenty of support from health-conscious consumers.

The reports of dark chocolate being healthy for one's heart has sent demand for this sweet treat soaring. With sales up 40 percent this year and dark chocolate revenue from last year topping $1.62 billion, according to Mintel International, it's time to recognize the chocolate shade shift.

But is dark chocolate really the answer to your cravings? Well, if you believe the research that has recently surfaced about its antioxidant-rich and flavonol-filled nature, then it could be what you need for your chocolate fix.

The new fervor about the health benefits of chocolate come from -- you guessed it -- research done by chocolate companies. Nearly 80 percent of the research that's fueling the frenzy for dark chocolate as a health food comes from the Mars Corporation. The findings help the marketing for their Dove Dark, CocoaVia, M&M's Dark and limited-time Snickers Dark offerings.

It seems most chocolatiers are no longer afraid of the dark. One in three chocolate product launches this year included dark chocolate.

Is it time to go to the dark side?

According to Pamela Ofstein, eDiets director of nutrition services, dark chocolate "contains epicatechin, which is a compound of plant flavonoids. These flavonoids can help keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels and reduce the risk of blood clots."

But before you trade in your granola bar for a chocolate bar, remember that chocolate also contains a high amount of fat and calories per small serving -- 210 calories and 12 grams of fat for a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar.

So adding chocolate to your diet just for the heart-health effects will also add unwanted calories, sugars, saturated fats and pounds. Ofstein recommends one to 1.5 ounces per day of dark chocolate to curb your confection cravings.

The benefits are real, but like most things, dark chocolate works best in moderation.

Americans spend nearly $10 billion a year to buy roughly 1.5 million tons of chocolate. If you need a chocolate fix, go dark because typically the darker the chocolate, the sweeter the health benefits.

Here's how your sweets stack up:

Dark chocolate should be your first choice; with heart-healthy antioxidants called flavonoids and no added milk fat, it's superior to its chocolate cousins.

America's favorite, milk chocolate, has more added sugar and fewer flavonoids than dark chocolate, as well as containing added milk fat, which raises cholesterol levels.


White chocolate contains no flavonoids and has added sugar and milk fat. It's the least healthy of the three.

(Courtesy: GLEE Magazine)