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in General Factchecking by Newbie (430 points)
eating dark chocolate gives you protection against free radicals, cardiovascular disease, may prevent cancer, and also improves cognitive function. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, increases clotting ability of blood platelets, and it decreases mental impairment.
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by Newbie (380 points)
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Dark chocolate has potential benefits, but claims are often exaggerated. Enjoy in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
by (140 points)
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This claim is true! The article starts out by citing Harvard which says that dark chocolate contains high amounts of flavanols, which helps your heart in protecting it from cardiovascular diseases. The article makes more claims about dark chocolate like that is prevents cancer, improves cognitive function, and protects against free radicals. Harvard was the only thing they used to back up their claims, so I found another article about this topic. I found an article by Cleveland Clinic that gave even more information about the benefits of consuming dark chocolate. Three doctors have said that Cleveland clinic is a reliable source, therefore I would say this claim is true; dark chocolate does have health benefits.
Source: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits
by (100 points)
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The claim “Dark chocolate is found to have health benefits” is proven correct through the research and support from numerous validated sources. Research covered states dark chocolate is high in antioxidants, improves heart health and can even support brain function. The internal article refers to the chocolate as “superfood” (Katz, 2019), while an external article from Healthline supports this claim by providing seven proven benefits based on the consumption of this food (Gunnars, 2021). That said, it is essential to be able to understand the credibility of sources, specifically in this case, where the information is coming from. When analyzing more sources, credibility can be found in the sources with actual statistics or proven data coming from the benefits of dark chocolate. Such as scientific data, referring to how dark chocolate contributes to cardiovascular health. Through analyzing some articles with scientific data as well as the internal article, I was able to fact check the information I was receiving. This allowed for an accurate depiction of the information being shared in the original article.
Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
https://www.popcornforthepeople.com/blogs/blog/dark-chocolate-health-benefits?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwyfe4BhAWEiwAkIL8sARX5ELuJqPL1WAgB2Nqjli3baBFzYsFJGvYyjy1FH0KdRAbP9jkTBoCYZoQAvD_BwE
by (100 points)
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Upon reading this article, I was skeptical on exactly how dark chocolate could have health benefits because I have always personally tied anything chocolate to being unhealthy. After reading the article and doing some outside research, I do see that it is actually beneficial and can be preventative to certain illnesses. This article also uses hsph.harvard.edu as a source which is very reliable. Overall this article is very spot on and accurate.
by (100 points)
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This claim is accurate! The article begins by referencing Harvard, which states that dark chocolate is rich in flavanols that help protect the heart from cardiovascular diseases. It goes on to make additional claims about dark chocolate, such as its ability to prevent cancer, improve cognitive function, and protect against free radicals. Harvard is the sole source backing these claims, so I found another article on the topic. I came across a piece from the Cleveland Clinic that provides even more details about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Three doctors have confirmed that Cleveland Clinic is a reliable source, so I would affirm that the claim is true, dark chocolate does offer health benefits.

133 Answers

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by Newbie (300 points)
This claim is true: the claim that dark chocolate a high amount of flavanols is backed up by a credible source (https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-features/dark-chocolate/) and includes additional benefits. Other credible sources backup this claim that dark chocolate contains antioxidants like Flavanol. (https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/dark-chocolate-health-benefits-the-good-and-the-bad-to-this-sweet-treat/2023/02#:~:text=Most%20dark%20chocolate%20is%20rich,lower%20risk%20of%20heart%20disease.&text=In%20theory%2C%20dark%20chocolate%20will,and%20white%20chocolate%20contains%20none.)
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by Newbie (300 points)
edited by

Yes, when eaten in moderation, dark chocolate has a number of health benefits, according to organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Certain minerals included in cocoa have been shown to enhance cognitive function and heart health, particularly in elderly persons. newsinhealth.nih.gov Additionally, because of its anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-microbial qualities, dark chocolate is regarded as a functional food.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Dark chocolate can be high in calories and sugar, so it's best to eat it in moderation.
 

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by Newbie (310 points)

The claim made that “dark chocolate has health benefits” is true! The article is by Popcorn For The People, which I found little on them being a reliable source, they are a production facility which provides and finds jobs for adults with autism and developmental disabilities. I would not consider the main source reliable due to the lack of information about their study or research capabilities or previous work, and because the author, Jason Katz does not appear to have significant history or research in the subject at hand, and due to no provided research. https://www.popcornforthepeople.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopn1HgkDSFd0tTXh36d5s_QkwZYU3cmbKPz0JSjU8uB_Z0-o9jJ

Despite the initial source being arguable not very reliable, dependable sources such as this one from CleveLand Clinic prove the claim true: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits 

Claiming thatDark chocolate is packed full of important minerals, including iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and phosphorus.” which provides evidence for the initial claim. The source is considered reliable due to CleveLand Clinic being a well known dependable source for health related matters and research. Another considered reliable source which backs up the claim that dark chocolate is good for you is this study done by National Institute of Health (NIH): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9589144/

This study provides evidence that dark chocolate has a large range of health benefits and is rich in many nutrients beneficial for the body, such as those mentioned by the article by the CleveLand Clinic.

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by Newbie (300 points)

Based on Healthline’s article, “7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate,” and insights from reputable health institutions like the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it is evident that while dark chocolate offers some health benefits, its impact largely depends on an individual’s overall diet. Factors such as cocoa content and portion size also play a significant role in determining its effects on health. According to Healthline, a 100-gram serving of dark chocolate provides at least 11 grams of fiber, 66% of the daily value (DV) for iron, 57% of the DV for magnesium, 196% of the DV for copper, and 85% of the DV for manganese. Additionally, it contains substantial amounts of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium (Gunnars, 2023).

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate

 

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by Novice (660 points)
I found the claim of dark chocolate having health benefits to be to be true, although it can become unhealthy if consumed excessively. When researched I found the main source of this article to be a Harvard nutrition website. Along with the Harvard cite, many other cites had similar things to say when googling about health benefits related to dark chocolate. Most cites agreed that dark chocolate can be a healthy source of important minerals in your diet like copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. When checking this source, I found most of the information to match with that of Harvards website and others on similar topics, but I found that the claims about dark chocolate preventing cancer to be less researched and not actually proven with tests. This cite does use a legitimate source as it is a .edu, it was somewhat recently updated in 2023, and has multiple authors from the Harvard School of Public Health. Overall it can be said that dark chocolate can offer unique health benefits, but it doesn't soley make you healthier, rather it provides your diet with minerals you could possible be missing out on.

Sources:

https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-features/dark-chocolate/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate
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by Newbie (300 points)
The main claim of this article is that dark chocolate has health benefits. the article contains references information from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which highlights dark chocolates flavanol contents and the association it has with heart health. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a reputable source, giving credit to the main claim. another reference in the article is citing Jillian Levy from Dr. Axe which regards antioxidants in dark chocolate, and Dr. axe has health related content. in a similar article from healthline.com, they talk about antioxidant properties, and how dark chocolate contains them and helps combat free radicals, which supports the claim as well. Health.clevlandclinic.org touches on cardiovascular protection and how the flavanols in dark chocolate can aid blood flow and help to lower blood pressure.  the evidence that supports the antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits are commonly talked about and come from reputable sources. if the claims were found to be false, the intention behind the articles may be to promote a product by using its health benefits as a marketing strategy.
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by Newbie (300 points)

The original source used for this claim is "popcornforthepeople.com," which is a solid source with clear evidence supporting dark chocolate's health benefits. The intention behind this article appears to be informing the readers of potential health advantages of adding dark chocolate to their everyday diet. Most of this source's information about health benefits is taken from hsph.harvard.edu. It is important to remember that while it may have health benefits, dark chocolate should be consumed in moderation because of its high calorie count and sugar content. 

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by Newbie (300 points)
The article claims that eating dark chocolate has numerous health benefits. The website looks very trustworthy and they source harvard for their information. There is a lot of information on what specifically eating dark chocolate helps with. They tell us about chemicals in the plant derived from cocoa beans which are called flavanols. These flavanols are linked to protecting the heart and from cardiovascular disease. This claim is true, but they failed to mention it is only healthy in moderation. After doing some research, it is recommended to eat approximately 1-2 ounces a day.
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by Newbie (300 points)

The NIH article confirms that dark chocolate is good for health but with many caveats. Dark chocolate has a main ingredient called cocoa. It contains a substance called flavanols that are believed to increase heart health and improve cognitive abilities. The compounds, so studies among the Kuna who drink plenty of cocoa suggest, will lower rates of heart disease. Yet, the article also defines that chocolate, even dark chocolate, is usually sugar and fat-those should neutralize any advantages if taken extra. While dark chocolate contains much more cocoa and flavanols compared with other types, according to the article, health benefits could be more effective only in concentrated cocoa supplements but not in chocolate bars. This supports the claim about the health benefits of dark chocolate, yet still keeps in mind that it should be consumed in moderation and that it really depends on the quality and quantity.

Chocolate Health ClaimsNIH News in Health (.gov)https://newsinhealth.nih.gov › 2021/02 › chocolate-healt...

Exaggerated/ Misleading
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by Newbie (310 points)

This is true, dark chocolate has many health benefits. Usually if you were to tell someone this they might not believe it because chocolate and sugary snacks aren't necessarily good for you. On a website I read by healthline, it is proven that dark chocolate contains 11 g of fiber, 66% of the DV for iron, and 57% of the DV for magnesium. There is also plenty of zinc and potassium as well in dark chocolate.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

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