Chocolate has been around for years, but its effect on our health is still unknown. As beliefs about cocoa have evolved, so has scientific research into how chocolate may affect our health. Cocoa is high in flavanols. They are bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Back in 2018, Barry Callebaut AG Switzerland, a chocolate and cocoa product manufacturer, petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize the use of a health claim on labels, citing the link between the intake of flavanol-rich cocoa and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The FDA has now responded, following an extensive examination of studies.

In early February, the FDA approved the use of specific, limited health claims on products containing high-flavanol cocoa powder. The majority of us consume normal chocolate, but the agency claims there isn’t enough evidence to support the claims. Perhaps this is due to the fact that some of the more persuasive findings come from studies using cocoa flavanol supplements rather than sweets. Daily ingestion of at least 200mg of cocoa flavanols per serving may lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease, the FDA responded. The FDA has found that the evidence supporting this claim is supportive, but not definitive.

Scientists have investigated a specific mechanism that explains how chocolate can affect our cardiovascular system. Cocoa’s bioactive flavanols can increase the synthesis of nitric oxide, a gas that causes our blood vessels to open. Vasodilation is the mechanism for lowering blood pressure and signals for reducing cardiovascular events.

However, candy bars are high in sugar, fat, and calories. Eating chocolate several times a week, causes weight gain, and being overweight is related to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the FDA, cocoa products must contain at least 4% naturally preserved cocoa flavanols in order to make a health claim.

Despite published research examining the links between chocolate and health, the FDA believes that the science is still inconclusive as of today. The components in cocoa are clearly beneficial to our health, but we may not get enough of them if we consume highly processed sweetened chocolate candy bars. That could explain why the newly approved health claims are limited and confusing. Here’s an example: The cocoa flavanols in high-flavanol cocoa powder may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, however, there is very limited scientific support for this claim, according to the FDA.

One of the difficulties is that it is practically impossible to do the type of study that would show whether a certain amount of chocolate prevents heart disease. For starters, scientists would need to recruit thousands of people, with half of them agreeing to consume chocolate every day for many years. The other half would have to agree not to consume chocolate ever again. Who would volunteer for that?

The basic conclusion is that chocolate can be part of a healthy diet. If you like chocolate, the most important thing is to choose the type you like most and eat it in moderation because you enjoy it, not because you believe it is beneficial for you.