Here's Why Dark Chocolate Is Considered Healthier Than Other Types

Dark chocolate is kind of like the espresso of the chocolate world. Whether you like it or not, the rich, bitter chocolate variety has a reputation for being cooler, more sophisticated, and more complex than other types of chocolate. Perhaps one of the most persistent ideas promoted by dark chocolate elitists is that it's somehow healthier than its milky counterparts. But what's really at the root of dark chocolate's healthy reputation?

The primary reason people consider dark chocolate healthier than other types is because it contains a higher percentage of cocoa. To qualify as dark chocolate, a product must contain 50-90% cocoa solids and cocoa butter, compared to a mere 10-50% for milk chocolate. Cocoa contains natural compounds known as polyphenols. In addition to giving cocoa its bitter flavor, these polyphenols have been linked to myriad potential health benefits including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved blood pressure regulation, and even reduced inflammation. Because dark chocolate contains more cocoa, it usually contains more polyphenols (although concentrations can vary widely depending on the type of cocoa and many other factors) and therefore boasts more of these potential health benefits. However, the key word here is potential –- a lot more research is necessary on many of these reported positive effects.

In addition to its higher polyphenol content, dark chocolate usually packs less sugar than milk or white chocolate (which, by the way, really is chocolate). Dark chocolate also offers a bit more nutritional value in terms of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, further contributing to its healthy reputation. On the flip side, your favorite dark chocolate probably also contains lead and cadmium –- these harmful heavy metals frequently contaminate cocoa, and are therefore more concentrated in many dark chocolate products.

Generally speaking, dark chocolate typically offers slightly more potentially health-promoting polyphenols and less sugar than other types of chocolate, which is why it's considered healthier. These minimal differences have been fully capitalized on by dark chocolate snobs and chocolate companies alike, but the truth is dark chocolate's health halo tends to get a bit overblown, while milk chocolate's bad reputation is undeserved. At the end of the day, eating chocolate is more about enjoyment than nutritional value. All forms of chocolate are amazing in their own right, and you should feel free to choose whatever variety of chocolate makes you the happiest -– and if that happens to be milk chocolate, we recommend stocking up on the best grocery store milk chocolate bars that we ranked by taste and texture.