Frequently Asked Questions
1. How is dark chocolate different from milk chocolate?
Dark chocolate is the term used by consumers to refer to both sweet and semi-sweet chocolates. These chocolates are required to contain higher amounts of chocolate liquor and lower amounts of milk ingredients than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate also typically has less sugar than milk chocolate - as more chocolate liquor is added, less sugar is used.
2. What is in chocolate that is good for you?
Many people don’t realize that cocoa and chocolate products deliver many naturally occurring compounds similar to other foods in a healthy, plant-based diet. Much of the current research is focused on a group of compounds called flavanols. Cocoa also contains additional flavonoid compounds, fiber, and essential nutrients such as magnesium, and iron. Recent analyses have noted that cocoa powder and chocolate contain resveratrol – the compound linked to the health benefits of red wine.
3. What are flavanols?
Flavanols are among a family of compounds called polyphenols. Based on their molecular structure, many compounds in this family can act as antioxidants. Antioxidants can have a variety of beneficial effects in the body. Some research also indicates that the flavanols found in cocoa may stimulate the production of nitric oxide in the body. This increase in nitric oxide may be responsible for the improvements in blood vessel health and blood flow that have been observed in a number of clinical research studies. More research will help to establish this relationship.
4. What type of chocolate has the most flavanols/antioxidants?
In general, the darker the chocolate, the more flavanol antioxidants it will have. This is because dark chocolates have more chocolate liquor than milk chocolates. White chocolate does not contain any chocolate liquor, so it has very low levels of flavanol antioxidants. One typical serving of Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate, about 4 tasting squares provides ~420 mg of flavanols and has an ORAC, or antioxidant power of about 9000. This antioxidant power is more than that of 4 cups of green tea, 1½ glasses of red wine or ¾ cup blueberries.
5. What does “percent cacao” (% cacao) mean?
“Cacao” is the Latin word for cocoa and is part of the scientific name for the cocoa plant, Theobroma cacao—which translates to “food of the gods”. The percent cacao refers to the percent of ingredients in the product that are derived from the cocoa bean. This can include cocoa powder, chocolate liquor and cocoa butter.
6. Does processing affect the flavanol content?
Yes, it can. Chocolate is actually produced with very minimal processing. One aspect of the processing that can affect the flavanol content is dutching, or alkalinization. This process is done to cocoa powder or chocolate to reduce some of the bitter flavor notes, to darken the color and to make it more soluble in water. The downside though is that the dutching process reduces the flavanol content... In the U.S., a cocoa powder or chocolate that has been dutched will be listed as “cocoa powder processed with alkali” or “chocolate processed with alkali” in the ingredients statement.
7. Why are antioxidants important for health?
Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralize free radicals and protect your body against their destructive effects. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to your cells and DNA. While free radicals occur naturally in your body, environmental factors (cigarette smoke, extended sun exposure, air pollution and even exercise), can increase the amount of free radicals generated by your body.
8. In general, how does the antioxidant capacity of cocoa and chocolate compare to other foods?
Data from a study conducted by The Hershey Company and previous studies from USDA and others indicate that, gram for gram; cocoa powder and chocolate are among the most concentrated sources of flavanol antioxidants. The antioxidant power of about 4 tasting squares (40 g/1.4 oz) of Hershey’s Extra Dark chocolate is more than that of 4 cups of green tea, 1½ glasses of red wine or ¾ cup blueberries.
9. How much dark chocolate do you recommend for people eat each day?
We don’t know exactly but we have some studies underway to help determine this. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association a few years ago, eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day for 12 weeks significantly reduced blood pressure in people with slightly elevated blood pressure. The amount of dark chocolate eaten each day was 6.3 grams. This is about the same amount of chocolate as in 1 ½ HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand SPECIAL DARK Dark Chocolates.