Professor Tim Spector says a daily treat can help stop diabetes, dementia and arthritis

Nutritional scientist and professor, Tim Spector, has revealed how chocolate can provide amazing health benefits - but only if you eat the right amount. Founder of the Zoe health app Prof Spector took to Instagram to share his findings about how much dark chocolate with high cocoa content can help.

The professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London said: "Everyone loves chocolate. I know I do, and I didn't need my book to tell me that. But my book writing has told me much more about what's in chocolate that is not only tasty but is actually good for our health."

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He explained that dark chocolate, specifically varieties with more than 70% cacao content, is key. Cacao-rich chocolate contains polyphenols, compounds that aid in reducing inflammation, potentially helping stave off diseases like dementia, arthritis, and diabetes.

"And we're talking about chocolates that are good quality, with over 70% cacao in it, because that's all from a plant. And the bean itself is packed with polyphenols that are made greater by fermenting process. So those polyphenols are really healthy for us and give us a lot of the advantages of eating chocolate."

In addition to the health-boosting polyphenols, Prof Spector pointed out that high-cacao chocolate has a higher fibre content. This is particularly significant as he claimed that with 90 per cent of people not achieving the recommended 30g daily fibre intake, consuming more can dramatically improve health.

According to Prof Spector, just an extra 5g of fibre each day could double the impact on lowering blood pressure when compared to reducing salt intake, reports Gloucestershire Live.

He further commented: "There's also fibre in it, and a normal portion of dark chocolate has over double the equivalent 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's also really good for you, and I certainly enjoy it."

Elaborating on the benefits, he said: "Cocoa is a rich source of polyphenols such as flavanols which act as rocket fuel for your gut microbes, enhancing the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and reducing the number of pathogenic or bad bacteria. One study found the total polyphenol content of cocoa powder exceeds that of so called "superfoods" acai, blueberries and pomegranate.

"One thing that always surprises people is how much fibre is in chocolate too, around 712g in 100g of 70% cocoa dark chocolate which increases with the cocoa percentage. The 85% Lindt bar in this video contains 15g of fibre per 100g bar or 6g per 40g serving. These are significant levels when you remember that the average European eats a total of 15g or less a day although I'm not suggesting you replace vegetables with dark chocolate.

"Some chocolate bars will contain emulsifiers so it's best to check the label and choose the highest percentage you can enjoy to minimise the sugar content and maximise the polyphenol and fibre content."