A considerable number of studies are in agreement that dark chocolate has pronounced health benefits—provided you eat it in moderation (one to two ounces is recommended by some researchers).
The same cannot be said for milk chocolate, however. There's a big difference between your average chocolate bar and what could be referred to as "therapeutic" chocolate. To understand this better, here are some definitions:
• Cacao: Refers to the plant Theobroma cacao, cultivated for its seeds, known as cacao beans or cocoa beans. Cacao is naturally high in antioxidants and other natural compounds that are beneficial for cardiovascular health and weight management. In all, about 40 distinct health benefits3 have been linked to dark chocolate
• Cocoa: Refers to the powder made from roasted, husked, and ground cacao seeds, from which most of the fat has been removed • Cocoa butter: The fat component of the cacao seed
• Chocolate: The solid food or candy made from a preparation of cacao seeds (typically roasted). If the cacao seeds are not roasted, then you have "raw chocolate," which is also typically sweetened. Generally speaking, the darker the chocolate, the higher the antioxidant content. Milk chocolate has few if any health benefits, as it contains limited amounts of cacao Knowing the meaning of these terms is important, because if you think you're improving your health by eating typical milk chocolate candies, you're fooling yourself.
Cocoa and cacao is typically quite bitter and rarely fancied by self-proclaimed chocolate lovers who are really craving sugar added to most chocolate bars and candy.
That said, certain types of dark chocolate, as well as raw cocoa powder and cacao, are powerful superfoods, ranking among the most anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods known to mankind. Interestingly, recent research has shed new light on the mechanism that makes cocoa powder (and dark chocolate) so beneficial for your heart and blood vessels. These benefits, it turns out, are largely dependent on the action of beneficial bacteria in your gut.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/12/08/gut-microbes-make-dark-chocolate-healthy.aspx
• Cacao: Refers to the plant Theobroma cacao, cultivated for its seeds, known as cacao beans or cocoa beans. Cacao is naturally high in antioxidants and other natural compounds that are beneficial for cardiovascular health and weight management. In all, about 40 distinct health benefits3 have been linked to dark chocolate
• Cocoa: Refers to the powder made from roasted, husked, and ground cacao seeds, from which most of the fat has been removed • Cocoa butter: The fat component of the cacao seed
• Chocolate: The solid food or candy made from a preparation of cacao seeds (typically roasted). If the cacao seeds are not roasted, then you have "raw chocolate," which is also typically sweetened. Generally speaking, the darker the chocolate, the higher the antioxidant content. Milk chocolate has few if any health benefits, as it contains limited amounts of cacao Knowing the meaning of these terms is important, because if you think you're improving your health by eating typical milk chocolate candies, you're fooling yourself.
Cocoa and cacao is typically quite bitter and rarely fancied by self-proclaimed chocolate lovers who are really craving sugar added to most chocolate bars and candy.
That said, certain types of dark chocolate, as well as raw cocoa powder and cacao, are powerful superfoods, ranking among the most anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods known to mankind. Interestingly, recent research has shed new light on the mechanism that makes cocoa powder (and dark chocolate) so beneficial for your heart and blood vessels. These benefits, it turns out, are largely dependent on the action of beneficial bacteria in your gut.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/12/08/gut-microbes-make-dark-chocolate-healthy.aspx
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