We all know that Valentine’s Day is well known for love, greeting cards and of course chocolate. Ah, chocolate that deliciously rich candy that we all love so much. As you probably know, chocolate is divided into two categories: dark and milk. We’ve all heard dark chocolate is better for you than milk chocolate, but we ponder: Why? Well dark chocolate is in fact healthier (not the same as HEALTHY) and here’s why.

Dark chocolate is full of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which can help reduce bad cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. MUFAs also provide your body with Vitamin E, as well as nutrients to help maintain your cells. Dark chocolate also contains more of the original cocoa than milk chocolate. Why is this important? Because cocoa is an excellent source of a special class of antioxidants called flavonoids. Flavonoids reduce the amount of cell damage often involved in heart disease and improve vascular function. They also advance the power of vitamin C, stabilize blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Dark chocolate also has fewer carbs than milk chocolate. It has about 50% less sugar and 4 times the fiber. Ultimately, dark chocolate has more health benefits than milk chocolate and promotes a healthy heart.

In conclusion, dark chocolate is unquestionably the better of the two varieties of chocolate. However, while it is technically the healthier option, there are far better way to promote heart health than dark chocolate, such as fruits and vegetables, which have more heart benefits and greatly improve your overall health. So, if you’re looking to promote a healthier lifestyle, dark chocolate would better be reserved as the occasional sweet treat.