We’ve long been told that eating sweets every day makes you fat, can cause cavities, and increases your risk of heart disease.
But chocolate can also be a treat that is beneficial for gut and brain health.
This is according to diet guru Professor Tim Spector, who says that eating just one serving of good quality dark chocolate is not only “tasty” but “good for us”.
Most surprisingly, four squares (20 g) of good quality 70 percent dark chocolate contain as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.
The NHS says a high-fiber diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
In a video on social media, leading nutrition expert and founder of diet app ZOE explained that cocoa beans are full of fiber and polyphenols.
While gorging on a giant bar of milk or white chocolate won’t improve your health, eating just four squares, or 20g, of good quality 70 percent dark chocolate will help you reap the benefits.
In a video posted on social media, leading nutrition expert and founder of diet app ZOE explained that cocoa beans are also full of polyphenols.
In the TikTok video, which has racked up 22,000 views, Professor Spector explains that it is the cocoa bean itself that contains these compounds that can reduce inflammation and keep the gut healthy.
He said: “We are talking about good quality chocolates with more than 70 per cent cocoa because it all comes from one plant.”
“The grain itself is full of polyphenols that increase through the fermentation process, so those polyphenols are really healthy for us and give us many of the benefits of eating chocolate,” he added.
Polyphenols, a group of natural compounds found in plants that have antioxidant properties, are believed to help control blood pressure levels and are linked to better heart and circulatory health.
They can help increase blood flow to our brain, which is vital for reducing the risk of vascular dementia, as a lack of blood flow eventually kills brain cells, says the NHS.
Zoe’s website also explains that polyphenols, being antioxidants, can help buffer the effects of free radicles and reduce inflammation, which is a risk factor for heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
In the title of the video, Professor Spector adds that cocoa is also a rich source of flavanols (a type of polyphenols) which can also improve our intestinal health.
“These act as fuel for gut microbes, enhancing the growth and benefits of gut bacteria,” he said.
Professor Spector says a serving of dark chocolate has more fiber than a slice of whole wheat bread
Professor Spector also said: ‘It also contains fiber and a normal serving of dark chocolate has more than twice the equivalent of a slice of wholemeal bread in terms of fibre.
“So it’s great to have chocolate as a little treat at the end of the day, knowing that, as well as being super tasty, it’s also really good for your health.”
Government guidelines say we should all eat 30g of fiber a day as part of a balanced diet.
Just one 100g bar of dark chocolate contains 11g of fiber, while 100g (two slices) of whole wheat bread contains approximately 7g.