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Is dark chocolate really the healthier choice? New study reveals concerns

Aug 16, 2023

1 min

Melissa Melough

For those who love chocolate, dark chocolate is often seen as the "better" or "healthier" option. But is it really?


This past December, Consumer Reports analyzed 28 dark chocolate bars from a variety of brands and found that 23 of them contained concerning levels of lead, cadmium or both.



Melissa Melough, an assistant professor of behavioral health and nutrition at the University of Delaware, recently told The New York Times: “If you’re a regular consumer of these dark chocolates, I would be concerned."


This concern is especially heightened if one is pregnant, breastfeeding or have a child who enjoys dark chocolate. 


For more on why dark chocolate may be concerning, reach out to Melough by clicking on her profile. 


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Melissa Melough

Melissa Melough

Assistant Professor, Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences

Prof. Melough studies the interrelationships of nutritional and environmental factors influencing human health.

NutritionEpidemiologyPublic HealthMolecular EpidemiologyCancer Epidemiology

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