There are several recent studies that have looked at the possible health benefits of chocolate . Phytonutrients in cacao beans function as antioxidants and enhance the health benefits of the bean. The Harvard School of Public Health reports that cocoa beans are rich in iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. It's more healthy to eat dark chocolate than than milk chocolate since it has a higher concentration of beneficial flavanols.

Many studies have established an association between chocolate intake and a lower risk of heart disease, but the quantity and kind of chocolate required for optimal health must be studied further. Moderate chocolate consumption was shown to be the most beneficial in a 2017 meta-analysis of the effects of chocolate on coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. People who ate chocolate more than three times a week saw no decrease in their risk of heart disease or stroke, according to the authors. At two servings a week, protective benefits against diabetes occurred; however, this advantage faded at six servings a week and beyond.

A large-scale research of over 150,000 mostly male U.S. veterans found that consuming an ounce of chocolate five times a week may reduce the incidence of coronary artery disease-related events including heart attacks and heart failure among those who did not have it at the start of the trial.

Atrial fibrillation, a kind of irregular heartbeat that raises the risk of heart failure, stroke, and other complications, may be prevented in some people by eating chocolate. Atrial fibrillation rates were 10% to 20% lower among persons who ate chocolate at least once a month than those who never or seldom ate chocolate, according to research published in the journal Heart in 2017.

There is some evidence that hot chocolate is good for sore throat . The capacity of chocolate to boost cognitive function has been the subject of investigation in a few research. Consuming chocolate may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in older persons, according to the findings of a research that came out in 2016 and was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The research looked at almost 400 Portuguese citizens over the age of 65 and found that those who consumed a moderate amount of chocolate — on average, one chocolate snack a week; the research did not differentiate between milk chocolate and dark chocolate — decreased their risk of cognitive decline by forty percent over the course of two years. Those who consumed more chocolate or caffeine noticed a reduction in the positive cognitive effects of either substance.

Chocolate has a reputation for having a calming effect on individuals, but the specific mechanisms through which it accomplishes this effect vary from person to person. According to the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, chocolate contains substances that stimulate the brain in the same way that cannabis does. These substances are called anandamines. Chocolate also contains substances that have similar effects to amphetamines. These substances are called tyramine and phenylethylamine. On the other hand, these chemicals are present in very trace amounts, which are insufficient to provide an antidepressant effect.

According to a paper that was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2013, chocolate may interact with neurotransmitter systems that contribute to the regulation of hunger, reward, and mood. These neurotransmitter systems include dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. However, the authors pointed out that the effects may have less to do with the molecular actions of chocolate and more to do with the flavor and aroma of chocolate.

A research that was conducted in 2010 and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine discovered a correlation between chocolate intake and clinical depression. The findings indicated that those who had a high score on a screening test for depression consumed a greater quantity of chocolate than those individuals who were not diagnosed with depression. On the other hand, the research noted that there is merely a relationship, and it did not attempt to explain why. The researchers did not keep track of the subjects over a long period of time, so they do not know if consuming chocolate makes a person feel better or makes their sadness worse. There are a lot of different ways this might go, from the thought of utilizing chocolate as a type of natural Prozac to the possibility that chocolate plays some part in the development of depression.