Hello!
The main claim that dark chocolate has health benefits is true. However, its important to consider the exaggeration within the article with claims like, considered one of the top-ranking superfoods. In researching that claim I found no matches. Some of the supporting arguments also have arguable accuracy. According to the Harvard article, "dark chocolate is best choice for health—but don’t turn it into medicine, Cocoa powder contains flavonoids, substances that are full of antioxidants and may help lower the risk of some chronic diseases and improve mood and cognition." The article goes further to explain "the darker chocolate is, the more likely it is to be high in flavonoids and low in sugar, and to not contain added fats. White chocolate is the least healthy variety as it contains no cocoa and is high in fats and sugar." This goes to show that the generalization in the claim made that "dark chocolate contains high amounts of flavanols... [which has] been linked to protecting the heart from cardiovascular diseases "is misleading. Another source, the Washington post warns us that "you won’t get the same benefits if you eat too much of the wrong kind of chocolate. Many of our favorite chocolates, including those found in many red, heart-shaped boxes, are ultra-processed candy full of added sugar, milk and tropical oils, or even milk or white chocolate." All in all this primary claim may be true but the article is misleading.
The Harvard school of public health is reputable. There was also a quote from a professor which demonstrates a valid contribution. As for the Washington Post article, the writer is a Washington-based freelance writer who specializes in health, science and the environment. She was a Washington reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering public health, biomedical research policy, and food and drug regulation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/02/13/chocolate-health-benefits/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/dark-chocolate-health-flavonoids/
