vital minerals

Chocolate's Natural Benefits 

As plant-based foods, cocoa and chocolate naturally contain minerals that are vital for your health, especially your heart.

Copper

One average dark chocolate bar has 14 percent of the daily requirement for copper, a critical mineral that aids in the absorption of iron and is a key component of enzymes that form skin-strengthening collagen. An unsweetened baking chocolate bar delivers a whopping 22.5 percent of the daily requirement. Copper also is critical to heart health. During the early stages of development a diet low in copper can result in cardiovascular abnormalities and later on in life can contribute to the development of vascular disease.

Magnesium

One average dark chocolate bar can deliver nearly 12 percent of your daily magnesium requirement. Studies show magnesium may help reduce the risk of several chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Up to 90 percent of Americans don't get the recommended daily allowance of magnesium from their diet alone.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include leg cramps, migraines, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, nausea and vomiting.

Potassium

Cocoa and chocolate are natural sources of potassium, which studies have shown to be a key factor in affecting blood-pressure and stroke. The more potassium present in the body, the less likelihood of developing high blood pressure or stroke, the studies show. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says: "Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke."

Calcium

One serving of milk chocolate provides approximately 8 percent of the required daily allowance for calcium. We all know that calcium is the chief supportive nutritional compound for your bones and your teeth. But calcium may also aid in weight maintenance. If you are calcium deficient, as many Americans are, your body may think it's starving and release hormones that trigger a fat-storing response.

Iron

Cocoa and chocolate naturally contain iron, a key component of overall good health and the most common nutritional deficiency in the U.S. On average, a dark chocolate bar has nearly 7 percent of the required daily allowance. An average unsweetened baking chocolate bar packs in 13.3 percent of the daily requirement. Some specific brands of chocolate even have higher iron contents. The main function of iron is to help carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and other organs. If your body is low in iron, fatigue, irritability and headaches may occur. If the iron deficiency becomes significant, you can become anemic.