Chocolate for the past decade has been often associated with sugar, fats, weight gain and diabetes. But this is not entirely true. It can be apart of a healthy diet as it does contain great health benefits.

Chocolate’s antioxidant properties potentially may have a range of health benefits in the human body. Among the most beneficial is a cocoa flavanol called epicatechin, which is most present in dark chocolates. The higher the cocoa content, the more cocoa flavanol, the more benefits there are.

Dark chocolate also typically contains less fat and sugar compared to milk and white chocolate. Vegan chocolates are typically made with “milk” from crushed nuts or seeds.