Myth to Fact — 12 minutes
Chocolate: Myths and facts
“Life without chocolate is life lacking something important.”
Many of us will agree with this quote from Marcia Colman, an American author and food critic. For genuine chocolate enthusiasts, that is true all year around.
Over time, chocolate has gained a reputation for several things: it is an aphrodisiac, a stimulant or good for heart health. But what does science really say about it?
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac.
Myth.
Chocolate does contain compounds associated with pleasure, such as phenylethylamine and serotonin. Because of that, eating chocolate can generate a little euphoria and a lot of pleasure, but its aphrodisiac properties have never been proven scientifically [1].
The higher the proportion of cocoa, the greater the heart benefits.
Fact.
Chocolate which contains at least 70% cocoa has a beneficial effect on health. The benefit is even greater if one of the ingredients is olive oil.
Eating chocolate protects against cardiovascular disease.
Fact.
The flavonoids in chocolate are natural antioxidants which can have beneficial effects, in various ways, on cardiovascular health, including reducing blood pressure and LDL (known as “bad cholesterol”). N.B.: It is dark chocolate containing at least 70% which provides these benefits.
However, these effects can only be seen with very high doses of flavonoids, the equivalent of about 50 bars of milk chocolate. Consuming such a large amount of chocolate also means a large amount of sugar and fat, which can be bad for our health. As a result, depending on the type of chocolate, the overall health consequences may be negative, despite the benefits of the flavonoids. [2]
The darker the chocolate, the more cocoa it contains.
Myth.
When it is processed, chocolate may turn a very dark colour, even though the flavonoid concentration is virtually zero. Flavonoid concentration is determined by the proportion of cocoa, so read those labels carefully!
White chocolate is not real chocolate.
Debatable.
For purists, white chocolate, prepared from cocoa butter, does not contain enough cocoa to be defined as chocolate. However, it does contain ingredients which come from cocoa beans, making it a close relative, at the very least. Some countries have given the legal opinion that a product can be called chocolate when there is over 20% cocoa butter [3].
Chocolate is as much a stimulant as coffee is.
Very debatable.
Chocolate does indeed contain caffeine, but a very small amount. Thirty grams of chocolate contain about 20 g of caffeine, as compared with a cup of coffee, which may contain 80‒120 g of caffeine. Although it is not clearly established that dark chocolate provides energy, a Japanese study published in 2022 shows that it can reduce physical and mental fatigue [4].
Chocolate causes constipation.
Myth.
Quite the opposite. Cocoa contains fiber, which stimulates bowel function. The higher the cocoa content in chocolate, the more fiber it contains and the more it may help prevent constipation.
A person can become physically addicted to chocolate.
Myth.
There are no studies proving that the ingredients in chocolate can cause physical addiction or withdrawal. On the other hand, we do need to be wary of the pleasure it gives us... When we eat chocolate, we produce endorphins, those well-known happy hormones, which make us want to eat it again and again.
As American cartoonist John G. Tullius said, “Nine out of ten people like chocolate; the tenth person always lies”, but it is important to remember that eating chocolate should be a limited part of a balanced diet because of its high energy value and high fat content.
Keep in mind that the consumption of chocolate should be limited as part of a balanced diet due to its high energy value and high fat content.
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Sources4
- Radio-CanadaOhdio « Mythes et réalités sur le chocolat » https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/l-heure-de-pointe-acadie/segments/entrevue/362688/chocolat-mythes-realites. In french only. Consulted on April 7, 2025.
- Observatoire de la prévention « Dark chocolate is good for the heart! ». Dark chocolate is good for the heart! | Observatoire de la prévention de l'Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal. Consulted on April 7, 2025.
- Lindt « Le chocolat blanc est-il du chocolat? » https://www.lindt.fr/blog/le-chocolat-blanc-est-il-du-chocolat-/ In french only. Consulted on April 7, 2025.
- National Library of Medecine. Nemoto K, Kokubun K, Ogata Y, Koike Y, Arai T, Yamakawa Y. « Dark Chocolate Intake May Reduce Fatigue and Mediate Cognitive Function and Gray Matter Volume in Healthy Middle-Aged Adults ». Behav Neurol. 2022 Dec 13;2022:6021811. Consulted on April 7, 2025.
