Dark chocolate

Dark black chocolate (also known as black chocolate, plain chocolate, or sour chocolate) is a form of chocolate containing cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar, without the milk found in milk chocolate. Government and industry standards of what products may be labeled 'dark chocolate' vary by country and market. Although dark chocolate has a reputation as a healthier alternative to other types of chocolate, such as milk chocolate, high-quality evidence for significant health benefits, such as on blood pressure, has not been shown. As of 2018, high-quality clinical trials have not been conducted to evaluate the effects of cocoa compounds on physiological outcomes, such as blood pressure for which only small (1-2 mmHg) changes resulted from short-term consumption of chocolate up to 105 grams and 670 milligrams of flavonols per day. In dark chocolate, flavanols include monomers, epicatechins, and catechins. Dark chocolate is 1% water, 46% carbohydrates, 43% fat, and 8% protein (table). In a 100 grams (3.5 oz) reference amount, dark chocolate supplies several dietary minerals in significant content, such as iron at 92% of the Daily Value (DV) and vitamin B6 at 29% DV (table). Dark chocolate contains 70-100% cocoa solids (nutrition table).