Note: Transcripts may contain errors. If you wish to re-use all, or part of, a transcript, please contact CBC for permission. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print. Copyright © CBC 2025

The Dose Transcript for February 13, 2025

Host: Dr. Brian Goldman

[Music: Theme]

BRIAN GOLDMAN: Hi, I'm Dr. Brian Goldman. Welcome to The Dose. When you don't know what to give on Valentine's Day, you can't go wrong with a box of chocolates, can you? And a dose of cocoa is supposedly very good for your health, although some studies have cast doubt on that. Seems like a really good time to ask: How does chocolate make me healthier? Hi, Anar, welcome back to The Dose.

ANAR ALLIDINA: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: So, how much did the health benefits of chocolate factor into your decision to become a registered dietitian?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Not much, to be honest. During my undergrad, I did a kinesiology degree at Waterloo, I started teaching group fitness classes, so I got really into the exercise component. And then with that, I kind of fell into nutrition, I took it as an elective, and I really enjoyed it. So, that's how I kind of progressed into, into the nutrition field.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: You've got quite a valuable skill set there, and I'm glad that we're talking to you about this. Before we begin, can you give us a "Hi, my name is," tell us what you do and where you do it?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Hi, my name is Anar Allidina. I'm a registered dietitian, and one of the dietitians at the Medcan clinic. And I also have a virtual practice that I help people maximize their health and nutrition.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: There's chocolate, and there's chocolate. What's the healthy kind of chocolate?

ANAR ALLIDINA: So, we probably know that there's three main types of chocolate. There's white chocolate, there's milk chocolate, and there's dark chocolate. The chocolate, the actual cacao bean has gone through processing. So, with dark chocolate, it's more intact. So, that's where all the nutrients are found. In milk chocolate, it's been stripped away a bit, and there's been milk solids and sugar added. And then, in white chocolate, that's the one that's really been, you know, it's more like a source of sugar. The cacao is pretty much not even existent in white chocolate.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: So, it's fair to say that the more processing is done on the chocolate, the more tasty it might be to some people, but the less nutritional value it has.

ANAR ALLIDINA: Exactly. It's sweeter. There's more sugar. And that bitterness that comes from dark chocolate, some people find it too bitter. That bitterness actually has all those, you know, good for you nutrition.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: An important message for people who may be experiencing dark chocolate for the first time that it's not as sweet, and maybe it doesn't excite your taste buds in the same way that white chocolate or milk chocolate does.

ANAR ALLIDINA: Dark chocolate, like a little goes a long way. It's very rich. It's very velvety. You know, it's not meant you have tons of it, you know, you kind of enjoy it and savour it.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: What are some of the key nutrients in chocolate that have the potential to benefit your health?

ANAR ALLIDINA: You know, the benefits are really seen in dark chocolate, and the higher percentage of that cacao means that it contains most of its nutrients. So, you want to try to choose a dark chocolate that has at least 70 per cent of the cacao in there, like the dark chocolate. And that's kind of the happy medium where you can maximize the benefits of dark chocolate, such as the minerals that they contain, specifically magnesium, zinc, which really helps support, you know, your cellular health. Magnesium is such an important mineral. It's partially one of my favorite minerals, and it does so many things in our bodies. It's like nature's chill pill. It relaxes us. It relaxes our blood vessels. You know, if there someone listening that has like a heart condition or even diabetes, they've probably been told to take magnesium because it helps support blood flow. Dark chocolate has a really high concentration of magnesium. It's one of the richest sources of magnesium. Additionally, dark chocolate because of the cacao also has fiber in it, which again is really supportive to our gut health and helps with blood sugar stabilization as well.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: Let's talk about flavanols that are also found in cacao.

ANAR ALLIDINA: Yeah, so flavanols are antioxidants. Dark chocolate is actually one of the richest sources of these antioxidants. It really, again, supports your cellular health. It makes our cells robust. It gives them energy. It helps fight damaging free radicals. So, it's a great source of antioxidants, for sure.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: A recent study in the British Medical Journal suggested that dark chocolate could lower diabetes risk. What can you tell us about that?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Because dark chocolate again, has fiber in it, which is so important for blood sugar regulation. It really helps with preventing blood sugar spikes that we see in other types of white chocolate, milk chocolate, as well as other sorts of candy. So, dark chocolate has those protective benefits, the fibre. It also has magnesium, which is really important for blood flow. Also has zinc in it, of course, has antioxidants that really support our cellular health. So, all of these benefits, in addition to having a healthy diet, can really be a great tool to include to kind of keep you healthy.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: What about the type of sugar that's found in dark chocolate compared to, say, milk chocolate?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Dark chocolate doesn't have very much sugar added to it. Some companies do add a bit of sugar to improve the taste. So, if you choose like 100 per cent dark chocolate, it's not going to be sweet at all. That's why I feel that a 70% chocolate and studies confirm this as well. That's kind of like you know, you're are maximizing the benefits. There is some sweetness to that, and that's where you can benefit from the health aspects of dark chocolate.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: So, you've named a number of minerals. Do flavanols play any role in potentially improving diabetes control in people who consumed dark chocolate?

ANAR ALLIDINA: 100 per cent. So, those antioxidants are really supportive, again, because they help fight free radical and oxidative stress that are, you know, our cells are in contact with. It helps fight inflammation and all metabolic conditions at the end of the day, there is a form of inflammation going on. So, these are really high anti-inflammatory foods because of those flavanols that are present.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: Other studies have suggested that dark chocolate could have a beneficial effect on cholesterol, on lipids, on blood pressure, and in so doing could lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Do you put much weight on those kinds of studies?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Dark chocolate is not a miracle food, right? We need to really look at our lifestyle, our exercise, the rest of our diet. And adding dark chocolate, you know, in a portioned amount, a little goes a long way, can be really protective. Again, because it is a rich source of magnesium, which relaxes our blood vessels, which helps with blood pressure. You know, the flavanols, you know, again, more circulation that our body is receiving because our blood is able to flow better. It's going to help our cardiovascular health as well. But again, you know, it's not a miracle food. It is a fantastic food that you want to try to include in an overall healthy diet.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: Joe Schwarcz, who runs the Office for Science and Society at McGill University and he's one of Canada's great science skeptics, pointed out some rather obvious holes in that BMJ study that we talked about. For instance, the researchers relied on subjects remembering how much chocolate they ate on a regular basis over years. And he just wonders how people can possibly keep that in their minds for that period of time. So, how seriously should we take these studies? Now, the British Medical Journal is not a shabby journal, but how seriously should we take these studies?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Taking it with a grain of salt. Even the subjects that were studied, right? There were white, non-Hispanic Americans. And there's other ethnic groups that are predisposed to developing Type 2 diabetes. So, it would be interesting to see how they would classify, you know, Caucasians are in a lower risk compared to some other ethnic groups like Asians, South Asians, Hispanics. So, it would be interesting to see that. So, taking all of these variables into consideration, it's just important to note that, yes, there is a benefit of dark chocolate. It has these nutritional qualities that can really support your overall health. So, if you're someone who's just like, I really don't like dark chocolate or I don't like chocolate, you don't need to necessarily go start having it. You know, it's just one of the other foods. There's other foods that also have a really great nutritional profile, like pumpkin seeds, nuts. You know, they have a lot of, again, a great source of magnesium that you can get. You don't necessarily have to have dark chocolate, but it's nice to know that if you do enjoy that, that you can include that and it can be really protective for your health.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: So that we can be really inclusive on this Valentine's Day edition of The Dose. Clearly, if you've got somebody who you can send Valentines to, hopefully they send Valentine's to you back. It can be a very grand day. But I guess for some people who are pining for companionship, it could be a day when they're feeling blue. And there's a reason why some people eat chocolate when they are feeling depressed. And that's because it contains a compound called phenethylamine. What is that, and what does it do?

ANAR ALLIDINA: This is a chemical that the brain releases when you're feeling good, and it makes you feel happy and excited. So again, it's one of those neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin that just makes you feel good. So, yeah, there's a host of foods that do have these qualities in them, so it can just make you feel good. And it's also supporting your health at the same time.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: What other foods boost your mood?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Salmon, like fatty fish. They have a lot of Omega -3's, which really enhance your brain health, your mood. Other sources of foods that contain magnesium, pumpkin seeds, beans, nuts, those are all really great sources that can really help you feel good.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: I have another question I want to ask you on this Valentine's Day edition of The Dose. Does chocolate have any aphrodisiac qualities?

ANAR ALLIDINA: So, this is such an interesting question. So, yes, because it has you know, it helps you feel good in terms of releasing the brain chemicals like serotonin, you know, dopamine. It's not a miracle food in a sense that this is going to be, you know, the best thing for me to have on this day in terms of putting me in the mood. It's something to add, but you shouldn't just rely on it. I think the bigger question is, you know, you want to have foods in your diet and your lifestyle that help support your libido. And using foods in a single, you know, entity just to have it as an aphrodisiac is kind of misleading. Oysters, again, are another food that are apparently an aphrodisiac. But again, it's a really rich source of zinc. So, dark chocolate has zinc in it, has magnesium in it, and these nutrients just help you feel good. They really support, you know, your overall health. It releases dopamine, serotonin. And that's why they've been singled out as, "Oh, it's an aphrodisiac." Really, just including foods like this can just help support your overall libido.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: We're talking about dark chocolate. You've already mentioned that it's rich and complex. How much realistically should we be consuming, and how often if we want to get the health benefits without consuming too much of it?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Having an ounce, which is like three small squares. An ounce, 28 grams, is a perfect amount to have daily. So, if you really enjoy something sweet after a meal, a lot of people do, it just kind of signifies that their meal is done. Having a small or a square of dark chocolate is absolutely okay, and you can do that pretty much daily. I think in the study that you had mentioned, the BMJ study, they found that the benefits were seen when it was consumed over five days, like more than five days in a week. So, if you enjoy something sweet, you can definitely include that daily. Again, the portions matter. Dark chocolate, you know it, there are calories in it, there is fat in it. So, a little bit does go a long way. So, one ounce, 28 grams is a safe amount. And so many chocolate companies, they even make pre-portioned dark chocolate, you know, that's already wrapped individually. I personally love those because it helps keeps your portion in check, for sure. Because it is, it's hard, right? When you have a big bar and you're just kind of going at it. So, having things that are portioned out is another way, you know, that you can include that into your, into your diet.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: You've talked about some of the essential nutrients that are found in dark chocolate. But a study from 2022 also showed that certain brands of chocolate contain heavy metals. How concerned should people be about that?

ANAR ALLIDINA: Okay. So, there is a lot of testing that goes on in Canada in terms of what's, you know, advice to be safe, that studies show that the higher percentages of cacao, so things that haven't been processed so much, just the way it's been harvested, you know, it has exposure in the soil to lead and so forth. So, they found that a 70 per cent again, dark chocolate, that's a number that keeps on showing up in studies, is a safe amount. So, if you're someone who really enjoys like a 90 per cent or 95, 100, I would say having that a few times a week is okay. If you're sticking to a 70 per cent again, how much of that you're having? An ounce? It's absolutely safe to include. You know, and if you are really concerned, there are companies, they have more information on their heavy metal content. So, this study was really interesting. Again, it just really highlights how, you know, there's not one perfect food and there's other caveats to it. But if it's something that you're really concerned with, then definitely doing your research, trying to find a brand that aligns with that would be your best bet. And again, with this study, it's found that with the lead, it's more of a risk for younger children as well.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: So, you mentioned lead. What other heavy metals?

ANAR ALLIDINA: I think it's cadmium as well that's found.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: What should we look for on a package?

ANAR ALLIDINA: You want to look for a dark chocolate that has, again, at least 70 per cent. If you are new to dark chocolate, then, you know, start with a 50 per cent or a 60 per cent, just so you can kind of get familiar with that taste. You know, if you're choosing a chocolate, having chocolate with some nuts or seeds gives you additional protein and healthy fat which will help with your blood sugar. You want to also compare the sugar grams as well. So, dark chocolate does have less sugar than milk chocolate. So, looking for a dark chocolate that has less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. So, single digits, is something to keep out for if sugar is a main concern for you. You also want to look at the fibre grams. So, you'll see that dark chocolate does have three grams, four grams per serving. So, looking at that would be helpful. And also, looking at the ingredient list. You know, you don't want to have sugar as the first ingredient ideally. You want to see the cacao in there. Yeah, you just want to look out for the milk solids and sugars to see, you know, what this product contains. So, those are some, some areas that you can look for when you're looking for a dark chocolate brand.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: You started to mention a couple of foods that you might pair with dark chocolate. Can you say more about that, and what the benefit is of doing that?

ANAR ALLIDINA: You know, when we're having something sweet, if we add protein to that, if we add healthy fat to that, the way that sugar is released in our bloodstream is not going to be as pronounced. It helps, kind of, dampen it so we don't have blood sugar spikes. So, if you're having chocolate, try to have it right after a meal that contains protein. If you're having it on an empty stomach, have some nuts with it. You can pair that to get that protein, healthy fat and fibre, which is going to help stabilize your blood sugar. You know, you can take dark chocolate shavings and put it on some Greek yogurt. You can add it to an oatmeal bowl if you want for breakfast to give it a little bit of flavour. So, when you add it to foods that have that fiber, the healthy fat and protein, the way that sugar is released is more favourable to our blood sugar.

BRIAN GOLDMAN: Well, Anar Allidina, I must confess that I am a chocolate lover, and I don't just enjoy chocolate on Valentine's Day. But I do want to wish you a happy Valentine's Day. And thank you very much for coming on the Dose to talk about chocolate, telling me all the good things and all the good reasons why I should continue to consume it.

ANAR ALLIDINA: It was my pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

[Music: Theme]

BRIAN GOLDMAN: Anar Allidina is a registered dietitian in Toronto. Here's your dose of smart advice. Chocolate is made from tropical Theobroma cacao tree seeds. Cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, contains biologically active phenolic compounds called flavanols. Other nutrients found in chocolate include magnesium, fibre, zinc, and iron. Flavanols are antioxidants. They are anti-inflammatory and potentially protect against cell damage caused by free radicals. They are said to reduce blood clotting and increase circulation to the heart. Eating dark chocolate may also reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Flavanols may also reduce oxidative stress in the body. When we talk about health benefits, we're really only talking about dark chocolate. Much of the research into chocolate's effect on health focuses on either cocoa extract or dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa. In some studies, eating at least 70 per cent cocoa lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, potentially lowering the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease. But other studies have found that cocoa extract doesn't significantly lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. A recent study found that chocolate didn't reduce the risk of major cardiovascular outcomes, including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and an irregular heartbeat. A study recently published in the British Medical Journal suggested that eating five or more servings of dark chocolate a week compared with no consumption reduced the risk of diabetes by 21 per cent. But questions have been raised about the study's methodology. So, where does that leave chocolate lovers? Well, if you want to indulge, the healthy option is dark chocolate containing 70 per cent or more cocoa. Keep in mind that white chocolate doesn't contain cocoa beans. As well, the beans that end up in milk chocolate and even some forms of dark chocolate are processed in a way that can significantly lower their flavanol content. Remember that the more refined the chocolate, the more sugar, fat and calories, all of which can end up doing more harm than good. To manage portions, consider buying chocolate in pre-portioned sizes and try having nuts or yogurt with your chocolate, which can help to slow down how quickly the sugar contained in the chocolate is released into your bloodstream. If you have topics you'd like discussed or questions answered, our email address is thedose@cbc.ca. If you like this episode, please give us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts. This edition of The Dose was produced by Sameer Chhabra. Our Senior Producer is Colleen Ross. The Dose wants you to be better informed about your health. If you're looking for medical advice, see your health care provider. I'm Dr. Brian Goldman. Until your next dose.

Back To Top »

Provide Transcript Feedback

CBC would like to acknowledge the support of the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund.

How does chocolate make me healthier? - Transcript

More Stories Like This