Dark chocolate is slightly bitter chocolate that has a higher amount of cocoa in the chocolate. Usually it contains less milk than milk chocolate or often contains no milk. Traditional dark chocolate shouldn’t have any milk but some traces of milk may be found from cross-contamination during processing. This is due to the same machinery being used to produce milk chocolate as well as dark chocolate. The most raw dark chocolate usually contains no sugar and is the most chocolatey type of chocolate. Dark chocolate usually contains about 50-90% of cocoa solids, or even cocoa butter. Compared to milk chocolate, which contains 10-15% of cocoa solids or cocoa butter. Lower quality chocolates usually add butter fat, vegetable oils, or artificial colors and flavors to their chocolate for less percentage of raw cocoa and more filler ingredients.
Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can definitely positively affect your health. Chocolate is made with the seed of the cocoa tree. The seeds of the cocoa tree is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet. Studies done on the food show that dark chocolate, the real dark chocolate, not the fake sugary dark chocolate from Hershey’s, can improve your health and even lower your risk of heart disease. If you buy dark chocolate that is high quality and high in cocoa content, it can actually prove to be quite nutritious. Dark chocolate contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is full of healthy minerals. A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate that contains 70-80% of cocoa contains 11 grams of fiber, 67% of the RDI for iron, 58% of the RDI for magnesium, 89% of the RDI for copper, 98% of the RDI for manganese, and has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. 100 grams is a pretty hefty amount of chocolate and is not something you should consume daily since these nutrients also come with 600 calories and a lot of sugar! That is why dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation. The fats that are present in dark chocolate are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fat. Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of antioxidants as well and contain more than most other foods. The bioactive compounds in cocoa can prove to improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a decrease in blood pressure. Dark chocolate improves several factors that play a part for disease cultivation. Studies on the effects of dark chocolate also improves insulin sensitivity and show drastic reduction in heart risk amongst those who consume the most chocolate. Studies also show that flavanols in the cocoa can improve blood flow to the skin and protect it from the damage that can be caused by the sun. Cocoa and dark chocolate have also been shown to improve brain function by increasing blood flow and also contains
Chocolate has often been deemed as “food of the gods” and has a 4,000-year history. For most of its history it was actually consumed as a bitter beverage rather than as a sweet treat. Anthropologists found evidence that chocolate was produced by pre-Olmec cultures that live in present day México as early as 1900 B.C. Ancient Mesoamericans who first cultivated the cocoa plants found the plant in the tropical rainforests of Central America. They then fermented, roasted and ground the cocoa beans into a paste. They mixed this paste with water that they often mixed with vanilla, honey, chili peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink. In the 1500’s, Spanish conquistadors like Hernan Cortes, sought gold and silver but instead returned with chocolate. Spanish sweetened the bitter drink with cane sugar and cinnamon but one thing remained consistent: chocolate was a treat and symbol of luxury. wealth, and power. In 1847, J.S. Fry became the first company to create a chocolate bar from cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar. 1879 brought the invention of Rodolphe Lindt’s conchin machine that produces chocolate with a velvety texture and superior taste. Other advancements assisted in the mass production of smooth, creamy milk chocolate on factory assembly lines. Other companies that surfaces were Cadbury, Mars, and Hershey that ushered the boom of chocolate in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Today, an average American consumes 12 lbs of chocolate a year, they’ve come far from a bitter chocolate drink.