It's still candy.

Have you heard the news?  Dark chocolate is good for you!

At least, that’s the breathless claim echoing through social media feeds and daytime talk shows ever since red-wine-is-healthy lost its shock value.  It’s the product of three forces:

1. We want to feel virtuous in doing something healthy, and if it’s something we don't have to put forth any effort to do, well…that’s about all that matters.
2. We happily accept half-truths and even lies if they’re what we want to hear.
3. Someone, somewhere wants to sell you something.

One of the things we here at Leleaka pledge to never do is blow cocoa-scented smoke up your asses.  Plenty of folks in our industry do-- especially the largest players with well-funded marketing departments, but also often I hear small outfits (like us) parroting whatever healthy sunshine they’ve read because of #2 above.  So, is chocolate good for you?  I like science and dislike misinformation (don’t get me started on the apple cider vinegar cult), plus someone needs to be the neighborhood bitch, so here’s the more nuanced truth.

Dark chocolate contains:

• Flavanols, a type of antioxidant shown to improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure, and support heart health (1,2,3)
  In fact, dark chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries, cranberries, and even acai (6). The ORAC score (a measure of antioxidant capacity) for dark chocolate is 20,816, compared to 9,621 for wild blueberries. (6)
• Iron, magnesium, and zinc, which support immune function and energy metabolism (4)
• Copper, which helps with iron absorption and red blood cell formation (5)
  
  

  Yeehaw.  Before we all pat ourselves on the back and chow down on a pile of dark chocolate with wild abandon, let’s talk about what is also in a good quality 70% dark chocolate bar. 

• It’s 30% sugar.  You can decrease that by eating an 80% or 90% bar, but not everyone loves higher percentage darks (which is okay!).
• It’s 25% saturated fat, which is not great for cardiovascular health.  Some consider chocolate’s flavanol concentrations to offset the negative risks from the saturated fat, so we’ll graciously call this one a draw. (1,7,8)

  At least it’s higher in antioxidants than berries.  There’s still that, right?  Yes, but berries are higher in everything else that’s beneficial except for copper (score!), and vegetables have even more nutrients but without the sugar.

(3,7)

   The crux is this:  Chocolate is candy-- not a supplement.  If you are looking for a treat, chocolate is one of the least damaging if you’re considering alternatives like a Coke (a single 20 oz bottle of Coke contains the same amount of sugar as six of our 70% bars), Oreos, or burning down a vape shop. 

Still need justification to treat yourself?  Use your turn signals.  Don’t make someone’s life harder today.  Boom-- you deserve a small treat.  So stop whining, be an adult and allow yourself some pleasure.  And if you’re reading this and you’re not an adult, go outside and play.  When you’re done, come back inside and scream until your parents buy you some of our chocolate.

1. Choose dark chocolate for your heart - Mayo Clinic Health System
2. Which Chocolate is Best for Your Heart?
3. Dark Chocolate • The Nutrition Source
4. Dark Chocolate: Health Benefits, Nutrients per Serving, and More
5. Copper in dark chocolate, per 100g - Diet and Fitness Today
6. ORAC Values: Antioxidant Values of Foods & Beverages - Superfoodly
7. Is Dark Chocolate Good for Your Heart? - Scripps Health
8. Is Dark Chocolate Good for You? 6 Benefits