Yum V's Multi-Vitamin Plus Mineral Formula Milk Chocolate, 60 Count

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A 2017 clinical trial found that subjects who consumed almonds with or without dark chocolate showed improved LDL cholesterol levels ( 3). We all know that dark chocolate tastes good, but what about its nutritional value; is it just as good? Well, the good news is that dark chocolate contains numerous nutrients. 17 The amount of caffeine in dark chocolate is far less than the amount you’ll find in coffee, though. “Even if you had two ounces of 70% dark chocolate, there would be around 50 to 60 milligrams of caffeine,” Peart says. “In an eight-ounce cup of coffee, which is much smaller than most people drink, there’s 100 to 200 milligrams.”

Past research has found that during digestion, chocolate behaves like a prebiotic (not to be confused with probiotic), a type of fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. The more “good” microbes are in your system, the better your body is able to absorb nutrients as well as support a healthy metabolism, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Studies by the University of Maryland Medical Center found that dark chocolate contains oxalates that can trigger increased urinary oxalate excretion, which can increase your risk of forming kidney stones. While milk chocolate is often seen as the sweeter, more indulgent relative of dark chocolate, it still boasts a variety of vitamins due to its milk content and cocoa solids.The cocoa used to make dark chocolate is rich in flavanols, which are chemicals found in plants like the cacao tree (where the cocoa bean grows). The unique flavan-3-ols in cacao beans are what gives pure cocoa a bitter taste.

Peart says a recommended dark chocolate serving size is between one and two ounces, which is about 30 to 60 grams. That’s a bigger amount of chocolate than you might think. For example, one ounce is the equivalent of three thin squares of chocolate broken off from a bigger bar. Dark chocolate is also best savored slowly — a little goes a long way. Should you eat dark chocolate every day?Other than tasting great, what are the benefits of eating dark chocolate? There are quite a few, let’s explore some of those wider dark chocolate health benefits: On top of all the other potential benefits, one thing is for sure: Dark chocolate contains a ton of nutrients. Of course, the darker the chocolate the better, but any 70 percent dark chocolate or higher contains antioxidants, fiber, potassium, calcium, copper, and magnesium, according to an overview published in December 2019 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. While there may be some concerns in relation to whether or not it’s safe to eat chocolate overall, not just dark chocolate, during pregnancy, research suggests there are some benefits to it. The high levels of flavonoids in dark chocolate are believed to be responsible for improving learning and memory, according to The FASEB Journal. 4 Eating chocolate every day doesn’t sound like the best way to prevent diabetes, but studies have shown healthy amounts of dark chocolate rich in cacao could actually improve how the body metabolizes glucose when eaten as part of a healthy diet. Insulin resistance causes high blood glucose (sugar) and is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes, per an article published in March 2019 by StatPearls.