Toxins in Your Chocolate? Happy Valentines Day

A Variety of of Chocolates

Life is like a box of chocolates…nice on the outside but what's inside might surprise you!

Explore the hidden toxins—and the health perks—hidden in your favorite cocoa and chocolate treats. Dark cocoa and chocolates are delicious—and often packed with health-promoting flavanols, a type of antioxidant. At the same time, quite a few have unsafe levels of heavy metals like cadmium and lead. Learn more about the benefits and risks of these and what some of the best chocolates are.

While I would not rely on chocolate to control a serious health condition, research from ConsumerLab suggests that dark chocolate may offer the following potential health benefits:

• Supports vascular function and improves blood flow—even to the heart (200 mg daily).

• May reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attacks, and strokes.

• Modestly lowers blood pressure.

• May benefit peripheral vascular disease.

• Lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and may raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

• Might reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation.

• May slightly reduce blood clotting.

• 200–600 mg daily may lower fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance (less impact if already well-controlled by medication).

• Might enhance physical performance and endurance.

• May improve short-term cognitive function.

• Slight mood boost; possible reduction in depression.

• May improve skin moisture, elasticity, and reduce wrinkles.

• May support gut health.

• Contains caffeine and theobromine—natural stimulants that may promote alertness.

  
  

The Bad News?

Some popular cocoa and chocolate products may contain heavy metals like cadmium and lead—posing real health risks. Cocoa plants absorb various heavy metals depending on the soil they are grown in, the country they are grown in, the plant genetics, how the cocoa is harvested, the insecticides used, nearby runoff, processing, and transporting. All of these factors can affect how much heavy metal is in the chocolate product you are eating.

What Can These Heavy Metals Do?

Cadmium

• Kidney damage.

• Bone weakening (interferes with calcium metabolism).

• Reproductive harm (linked to fertility issues and fetal development).

• Immune suppression.

• Increased cancer risk.

  
  

Lead

• Memory loss.

• Mood disorders.

• Elevated dementia risk.

  
  

Arsenic

• Skin and liver cancer.

  
  

Mercury

• Neurotoxicity.

  
  

The darker it is, the healthier it is supposed to be, BUT many chocolates are more likely to have contamination because of the concentration of cocoa responsible for the darkness.

How Much Cocoa is in Your Typical 85 g Chocolate Bar?

An 85g chocolate bar typically contains:

• 85% cocoa → ~18 tablespoons of cocoa ingredients.

• 72% cocoa → ~15 tablespoons.

• 60% cocoa → ~13 tablespoons.

• Milk chocolate (10–25% cocoa) → significantly less cocoa, more sugar and fat.

  
  

So What IS a Good Chocolate?

FIRST, READ YOUR LABELS (if you can even make out the fine print!)

• Check the percent of cacao – is it 65%, 72%, 85% (remember, the higher, the healthier). A good, tolerable taste is usually around 72%.

• Check out the origin: The origin may help determine potential levels of toxins. The US allows inordinately high levels of heavy metals in chocolate (except for California, which limits levels of heavy metals in chocolates).

  
  

Recommended Brands of Dark Chocolate

Based on independent testing by ConsumerLab, here are some dark chocolate products with high flavanol content and lower levels of heavy metals:

Baking Chocolate

• Baker's Semi-Sweet (56% cacao) – 5.3 mg/g flavanols.

• Baker's Unsweetened (100% cacao) – 8.5 mg/g.

• Ghirardelli® Premium Baking Cocoa – 100% cocoa.

  
  

Chocolate Bars

• Choc Zero Sugar Free (70%) – 2 mg/g.

• Chocolove Strong Dark (70%) – 4.9 mg/g.

• Endangered Species™ (88%) – 5.6 mg/g.

• Ghirardelli® Intense Dark (72%) – 12.7 mg/g.

• Hu Salty Dark (70%) – 5.9 mg/g.

• Montezuma's® Absolute Black (100%) – 14 mg/g.

• Trader Joe's® Pound Plus (72%) – 5.2 mg/g.

  
  

Chips

• Ghirardelli® Premium Baking Chips (60%).

  
  

Cocoa Powders

• 365 Organic (Whole Foods).

• Good & Gather (Target).

• Hershey's Special Dark – Adults only (cadmium too high for kids).

• Nestle® Toll House.

• NOW® Organic.

• Trader Joe’s Organic Fair Trade.

• Valrhona Poudre De Cacao.

• Wildly Organic Fermented.

  
  

Hot Cocoa Mixes

• Ghirardelli® Double Chocolate – Adults only (lead too high for kids).

• Nestle® Hot Cocoa Mix – Adults only.

  
  

Supplements

• CocoaVia™ Brain Health Memory+.

  
  

You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t…but wait—there’s a sweet spot. This Valentine’s Day, if you really love your partner, choose chocolate that loves them!