Can chocolate ever be healthy? – Quiz

1.  Read the text and answer the questions. 

1. What minerals may chocolate with a high cocoa content have?
It may be dense in minerals such as magnesium and iron.

2. What did a 2011 study compare cacao seeds to?
‘Super fruits’ such as cranberries and pomegranates.

3. True or False?  Dark chocolate can stop people getting type 2 diabetes.
False. A study found that eating a small amount of 84% dark chocolate could reduce inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes.

4. Why is it difficult to market dark chocolate?
Because the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter the taste.

5. Why can commercial dark chocolate be unhealthy?
It tends to be high in calories, saturated fat and can contain significant amounts of sugar.

2.  Choose the appropriate words or phrases to complete the following sentences.

1. The doctor said I have low levels of iron in my blood. 

2. My mum roasts chicken and vegetables at home every Sunday.

3. Fried food has high levels of saturated fat and is not good for you.

4. I find the taste of black coffee very bitter , so I add a lot of milk.

5. If I feel sad, I usually eat unhealthy snacks like crisps and chocolate . 

Can chocolate ever be healthy?

When you think of foods that are good for you, chocolate may not be high up on your list. But, there has been a lot of research into dark chocolate, which shows that it does, in fact, have health benefits.

Chocolate is made by roasting cacao seeds, which come from the cacao tree. After being processed into cocoa solids, cocoa butter and combined with sugar and sometimes dairy, chocolate is the result. To know how dark the chocolate is, and to determine the potential health benefits, we need to look at the level of cocoa solids it contains.

If dark chocolate has a high cocoa content, labelled as a percentage, it may be dense in minerals such as magnesium and iron. According to a 2011 study comparing cacao seeds to ‘super fruits’ such as cranberries and pomegranates, dark chocolate may have high levels of antioxidants. Other research includes a 2018 study which found that dark chocolate could significantly reduce inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes. 

But companies trying to market dark chocolate as a healthy snack may have a difficult time – the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter the taste. Plus, commercial dark chocolate tends to be high in calories, saturated fat and can contain significant amounts of sugar. On top of that, during the actual manufacturing process of cleaning, fermenting and roasting the cacao beans, the natural benefits may be lost.  

All in all, it seems that consuming a moderate amount of dark chocolate can’t do you harm – just look for a high cocoa solid percentage!