Chocolate comes from pods that grow on the cacao tree, which can bear pods for 30-40 years. Each pod contains up to 50 cocoa beans, and it takes 4-12 beans to make an ounce of chocolate. The Aztecs considered cocoa beans a source of wisdom and used them as currency. Chocolate contains antioxidants that can benefit heart health similar to wine. While chocolate has caffeine, an ounce contains less than a cup of coffee; and it provides carbohydrates to restore energy without raising blood cholesterol levels like other snacks.