Chocolat

When it comes to your health, not all chocolates are created equal—even if they look as delicious as this display case at Atelier du Chocolat in Bayonne, France. Experts say it all comes down to how they're made and how much you consume.

The Maya loved cacao so much they used the beans as currency. They also believed it is good for you—which many people still say today about cacao’s most famous byproduct, chocolate.

In fact, cacao—which, also called cocoa, is the not-so-secret ingredient of chocolate—contains hundreds of bioactive plant compounds, including flavanols, which have been associated with numerous possible health benefits.

“Research on the bioactive components of the cacao bean pretty consistently shows that if you’re consuming greater amounts of flavanols you see mechanisms linked to heart disease are, by and large, favorably impacted,” says Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This includes improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

But while cacao does have intriguing potential to boost heart health and brain function, no science supports eating large amounts of chocolate as a health food—sorry chocoholics. Here’s why.

Is chocolate really good for you?

Spurred by chocolate’s popularity, numerous studies have explored how the natural chemical compounds found in cocoa might be good for human health. While some have suggested that less than an ounce of dark chocolate might improve heart health, much of the research doesn’t involve eating actual chocolate but rather its components.

In 2022, Sesso and colleagues found compelling evidence for the benefits of flavanols. In a clinical trial of 21,000 adults, they found that the half of the group that took 500mg of cocoa flavanol supplements daily had a significantly lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who had taken a placebo. (The COSMOS study, though independent, was funded in part by Mars Edge, a research arm of the candy maker.)

Flavanols may also boost insulin sensitivity, according to some studies, which might be helpful in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. But the results aren’t conclusive, and those at risk of diabetes might be wise to choose a cacao-inspired supplement instead of eating chocolate—and the sugar it contains.

Other research suggests that the flavanols found in cacao (also present in fruits, vegetables, and tea) could slow cognitive decline during aging, or even boost brain performance by improving blood flow to the cerebral cortex. But there’s still more research to be done to understand these effects.