The health food you probably already love

You’ve probably heard that chocolate is a health food. You’ve also probably heard that chocolate is not a health food. So which is it? Well, it depends. When we talk about chocolate being healthy, we are talking about the dark kind that’s at least 70% cacao. This type of dark chocolate is beneficial because of its high antioxidant content, which is important because it can prevent cell damage that can lead to disease. Along with being high in antioxidants, pure dark chocolate is also high in several minerals. The benefits of these antioxidants and minerals include lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, cognition and overall heart health.

Now that’s all about the good kind of chocolate, but what about the not-so good kind? This includes white “chocolate”, which does not even include any cacao to consider it chocolate, and milk chocolate, which is high in sugar and does not contain any antioxidants to ward any health benefits.

Here’s what to look out for the next time you’re grazing down the chocolate aisle wondering which bar you should actually devour. First, check that the packaging says 70% cacao or higher. Next, check the ingredient list and if sugar is the first ingredient, nix it and move on to another brand. If cacao is listed in the ingredient list that’s a plus. So yes it’s true, chocolate should be your friend when chosen wisely.