ZOE Science & Nutrition Recap: This type of daily chocolate could improve gut health | Spencer Hyman and Prof Sarah Berry
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Sep 23, 2025 
Join chocolate expert Spencer Hyman and nutrition scientist Prof. Sarah Berry as they delve into the surprising health benefits of chocolate. Hyman breaks down the differences between dark, milk, and white chocolate, emphasizing the benefits of craft chocolate methods. Berry shares fascinating insights about flavanols and the impact of chocolate on gut health, vascular function, and disease risk. They also provide practical tips for choosing the right chocolate, making guilt-free indulgence a reality!
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How Real Chocolate Is Made
- Cocoa beans undergo fermentation, roasting, winnowing, grinding, conching and tempering to become quality chocolate.
- Small additions like sugar or milk change flavor but the bean processes determine nutritional properties.
Processing Determines Cocoa Benefits
- Industrial processing (high roast, shell removal, pressing, alkalizing) can strip cocoa of beneficial compounds.
- Many mass-market chocolates use these steps and likely lose some healthful flavanols and polyphenols.
Chocolate Contains Potent Bioactives
- Chocolate contains polyphenols, theobromine and sometimes fiber, which can influence health outcomes.
- Population studies link more chocolate consumption to lower blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular risk, but these studies group all chocolate types together.