Some popular Easter treats could be helping your heart
Millions of chocolate Easter eggs are set to be devoured this weekend and, while overindulging in the beloved sweet treat is never advisable, choosing the right kind of chocolate could actually bring some surprising health benefits.
Health specialists have shed light on the potential advantages of dark chocolate and its possible effects on your heart, cholesterol and brain function. Dark chocolate typically contains between 35 and 90 per cent cocoa solids, considerably more than other varieties, while also tending to have lower levels of sugar and dairy.
Heart health
It is the elevated cocoa content that gives dark chocolate its edge when it comes to cardiovascular protection. As BHF Senior Dietitian Dell Stanford explained: “Cocoa solids are a good source of flavanols, a type of chemical that naturally occurs in plants.
“Flavanols give dark chocolate its slightly bitter taste, and its potential health benefits such a helping to lower blood pressure and making blood vessels more flexible.”
A 2025 review established that foods containing flavanols, cocoa amongst them, showed potential in reducing the risk of heart and circulatory conditions, as well as helping to bring down high blood pressure. However, commercially produced chocolates tend to contain lower flavanol levels than the cocoa bean products typically used in research studies.
Cocoa nibs boast some of the highest concentrations of flavanols, while milk chocolate contains none at all. Notably, the flavanol content in both milk and dark chocolates can vary considerably and bears little relation to the stated cocoa percentage.
Flavanol levels aren’t typically displayed on packaging, making it virtually impossible to determine how much your preferred chocolate bar contains. In the UK, cocoa-based products can only be labelled ‘rich in flavanols’ if they deliver 200mg daily, a threshold most chocolates simply cannot meet.
It’s also practically unfeasible to obtain all the necessary flavanols from dark chocolate alone, as consuming the required quantity would lead to adverse health consequences from excessive sugar and fat intake.
Brain
The flavanols present in dark chocolate may also enhance oxygen supply, nerve function and blood circulation to the brain. According to ZOE, these flavanols have been associated with increased nerve cell development, particularly within the hippocampus.
Previous research involving rats has indicated that flavanols might shield the brain from deteriorating function and conditions such as dementia, though further studies are required to establish this conclusively.
Cholesterol
Dark chocolate typically contains elevated levels of polyphenols. These compounds can boost ‘good’ cholesterol levels in your body while simultaneously reducing ‘bad’ cholesterol. Nevertheless, according to the BHF, these advantages can be negated if you’re consuming excessive amounts of chocolate due to its sugar and saturated fat content.
Professor Tim Spector from ZOE advises choosing chocolate containing at least 70 per cent cocoa, while remaining cautious of varieties that may appear dark but still harbour high quantities of refined sugar or dairy products.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login