The many health benefits of dark chocolate

The health benefits of dark chocolate

Beth Czerwony is a registered dietitian who says, yes enjoy dark chocolate, but not too much of it.

FOX 2 - July 7th is "World Chocolate Day."

There are several chocolate holidays. This one is said to recognize the anniversary of the introduction of chocolate to Europe in the 1500s.

Remember if you're looking for the health benefits, you're looking for dark chocolate.

Dig deeper:

"Dark chocolate is by definition, having a higher cocoa, cocoa amount. So, you want to look for something
like 70% or higher," said Beth Czerwony, Cleveland Clinic. "And because of those polyphenols, which are those antioxidants that come from that plant, it gives us a lot of free radicals, which helps with cell damage.

"There's been a lot of really good research that suggests that it actually is good for our hearts and for our minds."

Czerwony is a registered dietitian who says, yes enjoy dark chocolate, but not too much of it.

The recommended amount of dark chocolate per day is one ounce - which is about one square piece.

As for the best kind to get, she says look for anything with 70 percent or more cocoa and less than eight grams of sugar.

You don’t want to get anything that’s loaded with other ingredients.

Cacao refers to unprocessed beans, cocoa refers to roasted beans. If you're not used to it,  dark chocolate is an acquired taste and can be bitter.

So, if you’ve never had it before, try sampling a little at a time. You could even add it to other foods you like.

"You can dip it you know, with fruit, you can also add dark chocolate chips to granola or trail mix," she said. "You
can add it in with your baking, so if you're having muffins or breads. The other thing too, is these chocolate, these Cacao Nibs, which are just little pieces of dark chocolate. You can add that to almost anything that you’re looking for."

Those Cacao Nibs can be quite bitter. You can sprinkle them around but it won't give you quite the same be4nefits of dark chocolate.

Keep in mind if you prefer milk chocolate or white chocolate, be sure to enjoy it in moderation. Both have high sugar and fat content.