Is Dark Chocolate Good for Weight Loss?

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Who doesn’t love chocolate? It’s creamy, indulgent, and oh-so-satisfying. But for those on a weight loss journey, chocolate can feel like a guilty pleasure that’s off-limits. The good news is, you don’t have to completely give up your chocolate fix to lose weight!

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the world of chocolate, exploring the differences between milk and dark chocolate, and how they can fit into a healthy, balanced diet.

How chocolate is made

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree. The process of making chocolate involves several steps, including harvesting the cacao pods, fermenting and drying the cacao beans, roasting and grinding the beans, and combining them with other ingredients to make chocolate.

Here is a general overview of the chocolate-making process:

1. Harvesting: The first step in making chocolate is harvesting the cacao pods from the cacao tree. The pods are then opened to remove the cacao beans inside.
2. Fermenting and Drying: The cacao beans are removed from the pods and fermented for several days to develop their flavor. The fermented beans are then dried in the sun or in a dryer to remove excess moisture.
3. Roasting: Once the beans are dried, they are roasted to bring out their flavor. The roasting process also helps to remove the outer shell of the beans, called the husk.
4. Grinding: After roasting, the beans are ground into a paste called cocoa liquor. This process involves crushing the beans into small pieces and then grinding them into a fine powder.
5. Separation: The cocoa liquor is then pressed to separate the cocoa solids from the cocoa butter. The cocoa solids are used to make chocolate, while the cocoa butter is used to make cosmetics and other products.
6. Mixing and Conching: The cocoa solids are mixed with other ingredients, such as sugar, milk, and flavorings, to create the desired chocolate flavor. The mixture is then conched, which is a process of kneading and smoothing the chocolate to give it a smooth texture.
7. Tempering: Finally, the chocolate is tempered, which involves heating and cooling the chocolate to create a shiny and smooth surface.

The exact process of making chocolate can vary depending on the type of chocolate being made and the manufacturer’s process. However, these are the basic steps involved in making chocolate from cacao beans.

Cocoa solids vs cocoa butter

Cocoa liquor is where chocolate comes from, and is composed of two major parts, the cocoa solids, and cocoa butter.

Different types of chocolate have varying amounts of both components.

Cocoa solids are the dry components of the cocoa liquor, and is what imparts the dark brown color and bitter taste of chocolate.

It’s a dark brown powder in its pure form, and the carbohydrates it contains is largely fiber, although it contains some fat and protein as well.

The solids also contain most of the minerals, like iron and magnesium, and flavonoids that are associated with some of the potential health benefits of chocolate.

They also contain caffeine and theobromine, both of which can increase alertness and wakefulness when we eat them, but can also cause headaches, restlessness or insomnia in some people.

Cocoa butter is the fat component of chocolate, and is what helps impart the buttery taste of chocolate.

It’s a pale yellow, butter-like substance, and is mostly fat in content. It’s composed of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fat.

The butter doesn’t provide significant amounts of vitamins, minerals, or other bioactive compounds, compared to the cocoa solids. It’s also much more calorie dense than the cocoa solids.

Different types of chocolate

Although there exists many other types of chocolate, we’ll focus on 4 common types: white, milk, dark, and unsweetened. They generally differ in their amounts of cocoa solids and cocoa butter, milk content, and added sugar.

In Canada, there are specific guidelines for labelling a food as chocolate. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), a food product can only be labelled as chocolate if it contains cocoa liquor or chocolate liquor as its primary ingredient.

Here are some of the specific guidelines for labelling a food as chocolate in Canada:

• White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa solids, and it’s mostly made of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. In Canada, white chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa butter and at least 14% milk solids.
• Milk chocolate, in Canada, must be at least 25% cocoa solids, and 15% cocoa butter. It also contains milk in a concentrated or powdered form.
• Dark chocolate, in Canada, must be at least 35% cocoa solids, and 18% cocoa butter. It also contains some milk, albeit much less than milk chocolate. Generally, the higher the cocoa percentage in dark chocolate, the more protein, fat, and caffeine, and less carbohydrate it contains.
• Unsweetened chocolate, also known as baking chocolate, is basically a very dark chocolate, and is usually the only type of chocolate that doesn’t add any additional milk or sugar, and will primarily contain cocoa solids or cocoa liquor. As a result, it tends to be the least fattening chocolate.

In addition to these guidelines, there are also rules around how these products can be labelled and marketed. For example, if a product contains vegetable fats in place of cocoa butter, it cannot be labelled as “chocolate” but must be labelled as “chocolate-flavoured” or “chocolatey”.

So while the term “chocolate” may be protected by Canadian guidelines, other closely related terms may be used in products that might only have minuscule amounts of real chocolate.

Dark chocolate benefits

Caffeine content

While the caffeine content in chocolate is relatively low compared to other sources of caffeine, it’s still worth keeping in mind if you’re sensitive to the effects of caffeine or trying to limit your intake.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in many different foods and drinks, including coffee, tea, and chocolate. Caffeine can increase alertness, focus, and energy levels, and this sometimes helps people increase the capacity and intensity of any exercise they partake in.

In chocolate, the caffeine content can vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of chocolate and the amount consumed.

Generally speaking, dark chocolate contains more caffeine than milk chocolate, as it has a higher percentage of cocoa solids.

The caffeine content in dark chocolate can range from about 12 milligrams per ounce (for a 70% cocoa chocolate) to about 23 milligrams per ounce (for an 85% cocoa chocolate).

In comparison, milk chocolate typically contains around 6 milligrams of caffeine per ounce.

Polyphenol content

Chocolate contains several types of polyphenols, including flavonoids, catechins, and procyanidins. These polyphenols are believed to contribute to the bitter taste of chocolate, but they also have potential health benefits.

Studies have shown that the polyphenols in chocolate can have a positive impact on cardiovascular health. They have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and improve blood flow to the heart. Additionally, the flavonoids in chocolate have been associated with a reduced risk of stroke.

Chocolate polyphenols have also been shown to have an effect on brain function. Some studies suggest that they can improve cognitive function and memory, as well as reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Furthermore, the polyphenols in chocolate have been linked to a reduced risk of certain types of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer. They may also have a protective effect against type 2 diabetes and obesity by improving insulin sensitivity and regulating blood sugar levels.

However, it’s important to note that chocolate is also high in calories, sugar, and fat, which can lead to weight gain and other health problems if consumed in excess. Therefore, it’s recommended to consume chocolate in moderation and choose high-quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content to maximize the polyphenol content and potential health benefits.

Dark chocolate risks

Heavy metals

One potential concern with dark chocolate is the potential contamination of heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium. These heavy metals can be found in the soil where the cacao trees are grown and can accumulate in the cocoa beans.

Ingesting high levels of lead or cadmium can be harmful to human health and has been linked to an increased risk of various health problems, including kidney damage, neurological problems, and developmental issues in children.

Several studies have investigated the levels of heavy metals in dark chocolate and found that some brands may contain higher levels than others.

The levels of heavy metals in dark chocolate depend on several factors, including the soil conditions where the cacao trees are grown, the processing methods used to make the chocolate, and the type of packaging used.

To minimize the risk of exposure to heavy metals in dark chocolate, it’s important to choose high-quality chocolate from reputable brands that have been tested for heavy metals.

Some manufacturers have implemented measures to reduce the levels of heavy metals in their products, such as sourcing cacao beans from specific regions with lower levels of heavy metals, testing the beans for contamination before processing, and using special equipment to remove heavy metals during processing.

Chocolate and weight loss

Interestingly, there is some research that suggests that including chocolate as a snack may help with weight maintenance.

However these studies are often replacing other sugary snacks with dark chocolate, and most other studies don’t find any changes in weight.

So can having chocolate help with weight loss? Not directly it seems, unless you’re replacing other sugary snacks with small amounts of chocolate.

Its caffeine content might help you to increase the intensity of your exercises, but even in that case, you’d probably do better with a cup of coffee or black tea.

But if you just can’t live without chocolate, which types of chocolate won’t affect your weight loss as negatively?

Well it seems that eating unsweetened chocolate is probably best, but most people don’t eat straight unsweetened chocolate. And while darker chocolates do tend to have less sugar, and more hunger satisfying protein and fats, they also tend to have more calories than milk chocolate.

Should you have it?

So how do we put this all into a practical perspective? Well if you can avoid it, that would probably be best.

However, if you just can’t live without it, it depends on what you’re looking for.

If you enjoy the energy boost you get from it, consider coffee or tea first, otherwise look towards darker chocolates to increase the caffeine content.

The beneficial compounds also tend to be higher in darker chocolates, meaning you would also go for those if you’re eating it for the potential health benefits.

But if you just enjoy chocolate, the overall differences in the impact on your weight, between the four common types of chocolate, are really not significant, especially if you’re only having small amounts each day.

So if you do decide to treat yourself to a little bit of chocolate on your weight loss diet, just choose the type of chocolate that will satisfy your craving the best, and require the least amount to do so.

Whichever chocolate you choose likely doesn’t matter that much, as long as you’re consuming small amounts.

Regardless of why you want to eat chocolate, I would eat it as you would with any dessert or small treat, in limited amounts, and look to balance its intake with a reduction of calories elsewhere, such as replacing any other snacks I would otherwise have.

Learn more about

• Canadian food fortification guidelines
• Other foods for weight loss

See also

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  Arsenic in rice
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  Mercury in fish and seafood
  Mercury is found in nearly all seafood, however tend to be in the highest concentrations in top-feeding, predatory fish, like shark and tuna.
• 
  Best Sugar Substitutes for Weight Loss
  Natural sweeteners may be better for health than artificial sweeteners, however using sugar substitutes does not support weight loss.
• 
  The Glycemic Index Diet: an overview
  The Glycemic Index diet focuses on foods that are lower in glycemic index and load, which can help with diabetes and weight loss.