It seemed my mother was frequently dieting and yet my father sometimes remembered her with a gift box of chocolates.  As counter-intuitive as it was for mom, it worked out well for the rest of the family who received a “share” of the paper-wrapped delicacies. 

All these years later, I reflect on whether any of us fared as well as we thought when we indulged in those chocolate treats. I doubt that my dad made his gift selection, based on health. Nonetheless, his gift was rich in cacao solids, which have health promoting benefits.  

Cacao solids from the fermented and roasted beans of the cacao tree are rich in antioxidants, and especially the antioxidants called flavanols. Flavanols protect us from the damaging effect of free radicals that contribute to cardiovascular disease.  In addition, flavanols are involved with the production of nitric oxide, a substance which relaxes blood vessels, improves blood flow to tissues, and lowers blood pressure.  Flavanols also increase insulin sensitivity, and thus help to regulate blood sugar.  The result of flavanol consumption in my dad’s chocolate treat could actually register as a triple-win for heart disease, blood pressure, and diabetes!

But before I get everyone too excited, and at the risk of offending my chocolate loving friends, not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate has 50-90% cacao solids, while milk chocolate has 10-50%.  The benefit of chocolate comes from the cacao solids concentrated in dark chocolate, but dark chocolate has a bitter flavor.  To override the bitter flavor, manufacturers add milk, butterfat and, you guessed it, sugar. In other words, the lower the percentage of chocolate the more sugar and less health-promoting cacao solids you have.   

Beyond fewer health benefits in milk chocolate, remember that sugar added to anything is still sugar and addictive.  You might not be addicted to boxed milk chocolates, but keep in mind that if you want chocolate to be a health promoting win, keep it dark chocolate!  Or at least invite the neighborhood kids over to help you finish off that box of treats.  Remember, the next time you go chocolate shopping, look for something that has 50-90% cacao solids.