Diet guru Prof Tim Spector reveals the surprising health benefit of chocolate that means he eats it every day

We have long been told that eating confectionary every day is fattening, can lead to tooth decay and put you at an increased risk of heart disease. 

But chocolate can also be a treat that is beneficial for gut and brain health.  

That’s according to diet guru Professor Tim Spector who says eating just one portion of good quality dark chocolate is not only ‘tasty’ but ‘good for us’. 

Most surprisingly, four squares — 20g — of good quality 70 per cent dark chocolate contains as much fibre as a slice of wholegrain bread.

The NHS states that a high fibre diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. 

While gorging yourself on a giant bar of milk or white chocolate won’t give you a health boost, eating just four squares, or 20g, of good quality 70 per cent dark chocolate will help you reap the benefits

Speaking in a video on social media, the top nutrition expert and founder of the ZOE diet app explained that cocoa beans are also packed with polyphenols. 

In the TikTok video, which has amassed 22k views, Professor Spector explains it’s the cocoa bean itself that contains these compounds that can reduce inflammation and keep the gut healthy. 

He said: ‘We are talking about chocolates that are good quality with over 70 per cent cacao in it because that’s all from a plant.’

‘The bean itself is packed with polyphenols that is made greater by fermenting process, so those polyphenols are really healthy for us and give us a lot of the advantages of eating chocolate,’ he added. 

Polyphenols — a group of naturally occurring compounds found in plants that have antioxidant properties — are thought to help manage blood pressure levels and are linked to better heart and circulatory health.

They can help boost our brain’s blood flow, which is vital for reducing the risk of vascular dementia as a lack of blood flow eventually kills brain cells, the NHS says. 

The Zoe website also explains that polyphenols, because they are antioxidants, they can help dampen down the affects of free radicles and reduce inflammation, which is a risk factor for heart disease and Alzheimer’s. 

In the caption for the video Professor Spector adds that cocoa is also a rich source of flavanols — a type of polyphenols — which can also boost our gut health. 

‘These act as rocket fuel for your gut microbes, enhancing the growth and benefit of gut bacteria,’ he said.  

Professor Spector says a portion of dark chocolate has more fibre than a slice whole grain bread

Professor Spector also said: ‘There is also fibre in it and a normal portion of dark chocolate had over double the equivalent of a slice of whole grain bread in terms of fibre.

‘So, chocolate is a great thing to have as a little treat at the end of the day knowing that as well as being super tasty it is also really good for you.’

Government guidelines say we should all be eating 30g of fibre a day as part of a balanced diet. 

Just one 100g bar of dark chocolate contains 11g of of fibre, where as 100g (two slices) of whole grain bread contains approximately 7g.