Everyone loves a delicious candy bar, but no one loves the repercussions: weight gain, tooth decay, over-intake of sugar. Why is it so difficult to engage in a guilty pleasure without the guilt? Despite popular belief, it’s not all that difficult if you stick to the right candy: dark chocolate!

Dark Chocolate

Chocolate is derived from the seeds found in cocoa trees. In turn, dark chocolate is derived from the same beans, though containing significantly larger percentages of cocoa, without the additional sugar and milk that are found in milk chocolate. It’s known as the “healthy chocolate” for a reason. Dark chocolate that contains over 60% of cocoa reaps the greatest benefits.  Now you’re probably wondering what these benefits are.

According to a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure in those with abnormally high blood pressure. Dark chocolate also contains flavonoids, the compound that positively impacts cell-signaling pathways. Through these polyphenols (a group of antioxidants), the risk for chronic disease decreases. Additionally, dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure and provide the body with necessary minerals including Potassium. Low-density lipoproteins, otherwise known as LDLs can pose major health risks. Luckily, dark chocolate reduces these LDL’s while tightening the HPL’s (which the body proves useful).

A Study was published in the BMJ journal Heart, where the researchers looked at long-term health data on nearly 21,000 adults in England. The study showed that participants who consumed the greatest amount of chocolate (up to 100 grams a day, which is proportionate to about two and a half whole hershey bars) were “11 percent less likely than those who ate no chocolate to have a heart attack or stroke, and 25 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Results stayed consistent after researchers adjusted for a number of dietary variables including smoking, age, alcohol consumption and physical activity level.”

Although these statistics may make you want to take a stab at that piece of chocolate cake in the fridge, or buy the pudding you have been craving in the grocery store, it is important to know that flavanol is the most beneficial ingredient in chocolate and some of the unhealthy forms of chocolate may not contain these high levels of this ingredient. “Cocoa naturally has a very strong, pungent taste, which comes from the flavanols. When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce this taste. The more chocolate is processed (through things like fermentation, alkalizing, roasting, etc.), the more flavanols are lost.” Most commercial chocolates are highly processed. In the past, most people thought that dark chocolate always contained the highest levels flavanols, but studies more recently show that, depending on how the dark chocolate was processed, in some instances this may not be the case. Most major chocolate manufacturers want to keep this rich flavor with the high levels of flavanol, and are continuing to look for better ways to reduce the outtake of flavanol while their products are being processed. In the present, your best choices are most often dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate (especially brands of milk chocolate that are highly processed) and unprocessed cocoa powder.

Next time your sweet tooth is aching for a fix, pick up that dark chocolate bar (with high levels of cocoa, of course) and engage in the guilty pleasure. Although some types of dark chocolate may be better than others, It is still a delicious and healthy snack. It shouldn’t make you so guilty after all!