The Vallarta Botanical Garden hosted a two-day festival celebrating chocolate, known in the Nahua language as Xocolatl (pronounced “shocolatl”). I had the honor of participating in this event. It’s amazing that such a delicious treat is also a powerful superfood with numerous health benefits. Below, you’ll discover some lesser-known advantages of chocolate, plus a delicious and healthy alternative to commercial Almond Joys!
Surprising Health Benefits of Chocolate You Probably Didn’t Know
Chocolate Supports Heart Health
Dark chocolate is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds called flavanols, including epicatechin (also found in green tea). Intestinal bacteria metabolize these compounds allowing them to enter the bloodstream and reduce arterial inflammation. Chocolate’s notoriety as an aphrodisiac is linked to its capacity to enhance blood flow, acting as a vasodilator, and this also provides mild support for blood pressure.
Chocolate Reduces Inflammation and Lowers CRP Levels
Chocolate has been shown to reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of inflammation linked to heart disease, depression, and dementia. Dark chocolate has also been shown to enhance mitochondrial function—our little cellular engines that tend to slow down with age and are implicated in the causes of fibromyalgia and mental illness.
Chocolate Supports Liver and Gallbladder Health
The bitter compounds in dark chocolate indicate its potential benefits for liver function. Like other bitter plants, dark chocolate supports gallbladder health, aiding digestion and overall detoxification.
Chocolate Is a Natural Source of Magnesium
Cravings for chocolate may signal a magnesium deficiency. Dark chocolate is a rich source of this essential mineral, which plays a crucial role in muscle relaxation, nerve function, and overall stress reduction.
Chocolate Enhances Mood and Energy
Dark chocolate is an effective mood booster due to its ability to stimulate endorphins and key brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Additionally, the presence of theobromine and caffeine provides a gentle energy boost without the jitters associated with coffee.
Chocolate Helps with Cough and Respiratory Health
Theobromine (from theo = god and broma = food, meaning “food of the gods”), the primary alkaloid in cacao beans, works alongside caffeine as a natural cough suppressant. This combination makes dark chocolate a beneficial remedy for relieving cold symptoms and even aiding asthma management.
Dark Chocolate Can Boost Vitamin Absorption and Help Prevent Diabetes
Dark chocolate enhances insulin sensitivity, potentially contributing to the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes, particularly when consumed without sugar. The healthy saturated fats in chocolate enable the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. All these qualities lead to an overall enhanced mood and brain health.
How to Maximize the Health Benefits of Chocolate
To fully enjoy chocolate’s health benefits, follow these guidelines:
- Choose high-quality dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher). Less processing preserves more flavanols.
- Eat chocolate without sugar or artificial sweetener.
- Consume between 8 and 20 grams daily.
- Pair chocolate with other superfoods like coconut, green tea, and berries for enhanced effects.
- Add pure organic cacao to smoothies for a natural energy boost.
Now that we’ve explored how chocolate can boost your health, let’s dive into a delicious way to enjoy it!
Healthy Almond Joy Recipe: A delicious and Nutritious Treat for Kids and Adults
Recipe by Rudolph Rÿser from Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health: The Complete Guide to the Food-Mood Connection, Leslie Korn, Copyright© 2025 (W.W. Norton & Company)
This recipe is medicine. It’s a delicious and healthy alternative to commercial candy, like Almond Joys or Mounds bars. Making these treats can be a group activity, especially fun for children and adolescents, who can learn about healthy treats and the effects of sugar on focus and well-being. The anti-inflammatory properties of coconut, dark chocolate, and almonds make this treat a healthy and effective mood booster.
Makes about 30 squares
Equipment:
2 sheets parchment paper
Half-sheet pan
Ingredients:
- ½ cup blue agave, honey, or maple syrup / or 25 drops of stevia
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly packed
- 30-35 roasted and unsalted almonds
- 17 ounces organic dark chocolate bar (no sugar added), chopped or broken into small pieces.
Directions:
- In a saucepan, bring the agave to a low boil over medium heat. Add the butter and melt it, stirring occasionally. Once fully integrated, remove the mixture from the heat and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut slowly, stirring until it is fully coated.
- Put a sheet of the parchment paper on a clean cutting board. Pour the agave-coconut mixture onto the parchment, spreading it with a spatula or the flat side of a knife.
- Spread the mixture to about ½ inch thickness. Form into a rectangle, roughly 9 by 4 inches, and cover with another piece of parchment. Using a rolling pin or bottle, lightly roll the mixture outwards until it is about ¼ inch thick.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then remove the top parchment. Cut it into strips about 1 inch wide. Working crosswise cut the strips again into 2-inch rectangles.
*TIP: Coat the knife with butter to keep the mixture from sticking. - Slide the coconut squares, still on their parchment, onto a half-sheet pan, allowing them to set in the refrigerator while preparing the dark chocolate bar.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don’t allow the bowl to touch the water.
- Melt the dark chocolate, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until it is smooth. Remove the melted dark chocolate from the heat.
- Place the second piece of parchment paper on the cutting board.
- Working quickly while the dark chocolate is still warm, spread a thin layer of the dark chocolate into a rectangle that is more or less, the size of the sheet of coconut squares, using only half of the melted dark chocolate.
- Remove coconut squares from refrigerator and immediately turn them out onto the sheet of melted dark chocolate.
- Press down firmly using your hands. Remove the parchment from the coconut. Using a knife, separate the coconut squares following the cuts made earlier.
- Top each coconut square with a roasted almond.
- Using a spoon, ladle the rest of the melted dark chocolate across the coconut squares, creating an even layer.
- Refrigerate the pan for 20-30 minutes to allow the dark chocolate to harden.
- Re-cut the squares and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Chocolate is proof that something so delicious can also offer incredible health benefits. If you’d like to learn more about how food can help you feel better both physically and mentally, along with more delicious and healthy recipes, check out my books Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health and The Good Mood Kitchen.
References
Daussin, F. N., Cuillerier, A., Touron, J., Bensaid, S., Melo, B., Al Rewashdy, A., Vasam, G., Menzies, K. J., Harper, M. E., Heyman, E., & Burelle, Y. (2021). Dietary Cocoa Flavanols Enhance Mitochondrial Function in Skeletal Muscle and Modify Whole-Body Metabolism in Healthy Mice. Nutrients, 13(10), 3466. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103466
Katz, D. L., Doughty, K., & Ali, A. (2011). Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 15(10), 2779–2811. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2010.3697
Morice, A. H., McGarvey, L., Pavord, I. D., Higgins, B., Chung, K. F., & Birring, S. S. (2017). Theobromine for the treatment of persistent cough: a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of thoracic disease, 9(7), 1864–1872. https://doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2017.06.18
She served as a Fulbright scholar on traditional medicine, a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School, and a National Institutes of Health-funded research scientist in mind/body medicine.
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