Is eating chocolate good for you?

Chocolate is a famous snack across all age groups.

It’s so hard to resist biting into chocolate but is it good for you or is it can it prove harmful to your health? Let’s find out!  

The good part of eating chocolate 

Chocolate indeed does have several benefits of consumption in moderation. Cocoa beans contain minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus and some vitamins. They are also rich in beneficial chemicals called polyphenols, which act as antioxidants.

These have the potential to improve heart health, increase nitric oxide and reduce blood pressure, provide food for gut microbiota and promote gut health, boost the immune system, and reduce inflammation.

However, the benefits of chocolate largely depend upon the quantity of cocoa solids in the final product. Thus, the darker the chocolate, the more benefits it offers as the polyphenol and nutrient content is higher.

Dark chocolates may have around seven times more polyphenols than white chocolates and three times more polyphenols than milk chocolates.

Side effects of consuming excess chocolate

Excessive consumption of anything is harmful to health, whether it is veggies or chocolate. The high quantities of sugar and fat added to modern-day chocolates can harm the body in many ways. For instance, milk and white chocolate Easter eggs are on average 50% sugar and 40% fat.

Further, cocoa beans have a compound called theobromine which is considered a brain stimulant just like caffeine. While it may offer a mood boost, excessive indulgence in chocolate may also cause stomach problems, restlessness and nausea. Those who are lactose intolerant should also avoid chocolate as it may cause allergic reactions.