Therefore the nutritional value will vary with the ingredients. For example, dark chocolate has a high proportion of cocoa solids and will therefore retain more of the nutritional value of cocoa than milk chocolate which has a lower proportion of cocoa solids. But, in milk chocolate the milk provides a rich source of proteins which the body can use and so its protein value is higher than that of dark chocolate. Obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure - excess of body fat is stored because intake exceeds usage. There is no direct link between sugar and obesity and confectionery is not a significant contributor to dietary fat intake.
Cholesterol is another area which often concerns consumers.
Cocoa butter is the fat that occurs in cocoa beans and is used in the manufacture of chocolate. Stearic and palmitic acids are saturated fatty acids, oleic is a monounsaturated fatty acid and linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid. Research has shown that cocoa butter does not raise cholesterol as might be predicted by its saturated fatty acid content, because of the neutral effects of stearic acid on blood cholesterol levels. Unlike palmitic or other saturated fats stearic acid does not raise blood cholesterol. Forty years of research have shown that cocoa butter has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol.