There is far more to chocolate than just its color. In this home tip, we will explain whether you live healthier with the dark version of the candy, as some rumors claim.
Dark chocolate – healthy or not?
The myth is true that there is a difference between dark and light chocolate.
- Dark chocolate contains flavanols. These plant compounds are antioxidants that have a positive effect on your heart health.
- However, dark chocolate usually tastes more bitter than other types, which can also be attributed to the healthy ingredient. However, since bitter chocolate is sold less by most consumers, the flavanols are removed from the product by the chocolate manufacturers.
- For chocolate to have any health benefits for you, you have to make sure that it contains at least 50 mg of flavonoids. Milk chocolate usually only contains a little over 10 mg of antioxidants – white chocolate, on the other hand, contains none at all.
- When eating chocolate, however, you must not forget that, in addition to the healthy antioxidants, it also contains fats and sugars that the flavanols cannot compensate for. Therefore, you should refrain from using dark candy as a source of antioxidants. However, if you want to reach for a piece of chocolate, dark chocolate is the healthier alternative.