With all things food-related, the effect on health can vary by the amount consumed in one given sitting. Chocolate does act as a stimulant, as does most sugary products, as it contains a slight amount of caffeine, as well as theobromine. Excessive consumption of chocolate can also result in weight gain, and potentially acne (especially in men), although these characteristics really only are visible is someone is over-consuming at an worry-some pace. Eating chocolate every day in moderation, combined with a healthy diet otherwise, will not yield these negative traits however. Personally I eat a few squares worth of chocolate almost every day, but are not seeing any negative effects. Chocolate addiction, however, is questionable in studies, although it is extremely common to experience chocolate cravings (almost like a withdrawal), leading the the signature term, “chocoholic.”
The heart is also not as affected by chocolate as one may initially suppose. Some tests support a short-term effect of lowering blood pressure by consuming cocoa products (the higher the cocoa content, the more visible the results), although there is no proven indication of long-term cardiovascular health benefits solely from consuming cocoa products. There is also no direct indication nor evidence that chocolate alone can effect heart attacks or stroke.
Another area for debate is chocolate’s aphrodisiac characteristics – there has not been a rigorous study to prove this, but traditionally chocolate is gifted for romantic occasions, which results in tendencies to relate this treat with such characteristics.
References
Fleming, Nic. (2018). The dark truth about chocolate. The Observer.
Skarnulis, Leanna. (2013). The Chocoholic’s Survival Guide.
If you are interested in more of the chemical-makeup, you can view some composition characteristics below.
| Type of chocolate | Total phenolics (mg/100g) | Flavonoids (mg/100g) | Theobromine (mg/100g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate | 579 | 28 | 883 |
| Milk chocolate | 160 | 13 | 125 |
| White chocolate | 126 | 8 | 0 |