Dark chocolate for heart health: this is what the studies really say about the phenomenon

But this is where the main caveat begins. Most of the medical studies and reports do not deal with the standard dark chocolate sold in the supermarket, but with cocoa extracts, concentrated powders or chocolate with a very high percentage of cocoa, often 70% or more. In the industrial production process of chocolate, a significant part of the flavonoids is destroyed, mainly during the roasting and processing stages.

Medical reports indicate that commercial dark chocolate sometimes contains a much lower amount of the active ingredients compared to what was used in the experiments. This means that in order to achieve a similar biological effect, it is necessary to consume a relatively large amount of chocolate.

The doctors emphasize that the public discourse around dark chocolate sometimes suffers from exaggeration. The desire to find a “tasty medicine” leads to the amplification of marginal benefits and ignoring the caloric price. Clinical reports indicate that people who add dark chocolate to the menu without reducing other sources of calories do not improve their health, and sometimes even the opposite.

However, the medical literature does not completely rule out the place of dark chocolate. Compared to milk chocolate, it is better nutritionally, contains less sugar and more cocoa. Moderate consumption, as part of a balanced menu, is not harmful and may even contribute to a small extent to the health of blood vessels.