This Valentine’s Day, splurge on some dark chocolate with your coffee. In fact, consider adding dark chocolate to your daily routine, says John P. Higgins, MD, a sports cardiologist and professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
“Various parts of the cocoa bean are healthy,” Higgins said. “It’s packed with antioxidants, including things like flavanols and polyphenols. It also tends to be high in fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium, and serotonin, as well.”
Is dark chocolate good for your heart?
Dark chocolate is different from milk chocolate, offering higher cocoa content and less sugar and milk fat. Cocoa is rich in flavanols, a heart-healthy compound that improves blood flow and cardiovascular health. The more cocoa content, the greater the benefit.
Dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, increase cardiovascular health, and protect arteries.
How dark chocolate supports heart health
Several medical studies have shown that dark chocolate can improve cardiovascular function.
“They would measure the artery function with this highly sensitive ultrasound, and then they would have the person eat the dark chocolate, and then they would remeasure the function and look at the boost,” Higgins said. “Likewise, there are some things that will drop the function, like smoking.”
The Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) — a long-term, randomized trial —found that daily cocoa flavanol supplementation was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality and reduced inflammation, although it did not consistently reduce heart attacks or strokes. These results suggest that cocoa flavanols support overall cardiovascular health, even if they are not a substitute for other proven prevention strategies.
The fiber content in cocoa also helps lower cholesterol, while the antioxidants are known to release nitric oxide.
“Nitric oxide is a very powerful stimulator of good things in the arteries and a protector against plaque,” Higgins said. Increased cardiovascular activity also means better blood flow, which is linked to reduced dental issues, fewer wrinkles, and improved memory.
Dark chocolate and mood: A Valentine’s Day bonus
Yes, dark chocolate can help improve mood.
“Cocoa has serotonin in it, which is a happy hormone,” Higgins said.
Increased serotonin levels can trigger a domino effect of good health, reducing stress on the body as a whole.
“When you’re happy, your blood pressure is lower, and you release other happy chemicals, which are also heart-healthy,” Higgins explained.
Choosing a healthier dark chocolate
To get the most out of this sweet treat, the darker the chocolate, the better. Most scientific studies found the greatest health benefits using chocolate with 70% cocoa.
If you can’t stomach the bitter taste of 70% dark chocolate, it’s perfectly acceptable to start with less.
“It’s not that you only receive a benefit at 70%,” Higgins said. “There is a linear response. The higher you go, the greater the benefit. If you want to start at 60%, that’s OK. You’re still benefiting from the cocoa.”
Be choosy about your chocolate and avoid overly processed chocolate, such as candy. Recent research suggests many commercial chocolates contain lower levels of beneficial flavanols than those used in clinical studies, reinforcing the importance of choosing higher-cocoa, minimally processed dark chocolate.
How much dark chocolate is healthy?
Adding chocolate to your daily routine comes with limits. Don’t finish a box of chocolates in one sitting. Balance is key.
“If you eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then you’re going to get a lot of the things that don’t help you, such as excess sugar,” Higgins said.
To get the best health benefits from dark chocolate, only eat one serving a day. A serving size is about 40 grams (1.4 ounces). Because caffeine is in the cocoa bean, it’s recommended as a morning ritual.
“It’s important to set a daily routine rather than having two bars of chocolate on the weekend,” Higgins said.
Heart-healthy way to celebrate Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day or not, dark chocolate is on the menu – albeit with restrictions. Pair this smooth, flavorful treat with regular healthy practices such as exercise, hydration, and sleep to round out your dark chocolate habit.
Happy eating!