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Nutritional Information

Antioxidant content of chocolate and cocoa
(from USDA study results presented at Experimental Biology 2005)

total antioxidant capacity in ORAC* values

Natural cocoa powders 826
Unsweetened baking chocolate 468
Alkalinized (i.e., Dutched) cocoa 402
Dark chocolates 227
Semi-sweet chocolate baking chips 202
Milk chocolates 80

*Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity (ORAC) measures the total "antioxidant power" of foods and nutrients by calculating the ability of a product to protect against potentially damaging oxygen free radicals. ORAC compares a test sample to Trolox (a non-commercial water-soluble derivative of tocopherol). Results are reported as µmoles Trolox Equivalents (TE)/g. In summary, the higher the ORAC value, the higher the antioxidant capacity.

Source: Data from the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and Brunswick Laboratories, April 2005.