Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
“Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good. ”
I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t like chocolate. It goes just perfect with every occasion and thanks to its magical powers it can turn every moment into a celebration of happiness.
Here I want to share with you some of the health benefits of dark chocolate.
An interesting fact is that Chocolate is made from parts of the cacao tree and in Latin it is known as ‘Theobrama Cacao’ derived from the Greek words ‘theo’ which means God and ‘ brosi’ which means food. So, chocolates can be termed as ‘Food of the Gods’.
High in Antioxidants and Minerals
You wouldn’t think any candy bar could ever be nutritious, but dark chocolate nutrition is actually quite impressive, especially when it comes to fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper. The cocoa in dark chocolate also contains antioxidants such as flavanols and polyphenols, which neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative stress.
Chocolate comes from cacao, which is a plant with high levels of minerals and antioxidants. Commercial milk chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and small quantities of cacao. What’s the problem with milk? Milk actually appears to bind itself to the flavonoids in chocolate, making them unavailable to our bodies. This is why milk chocolate is not a good antioxidant source. It’s also why you don’t want to drink milk with your dark chocolate.
In contrast, dark chocolate has much larger amounts of cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate.
Reduces Cholesterol
Dark chocolate raises good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. Cocoa butter contains oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat and is the same fat found in heart-healthy olive oil. Eating dark chocolate a few times a week should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries and a lower risk of heart disease. However, many of the studies on chocolate and good cholesterol are short-term, and it may be premature to say that chocolate is a cholesterol cure.
Mood Booster
Dark chocolate contains two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids which boosts your mood and makes you happy. They stimulate the neural activity in the regions of the brain related to pleasure and reward.
Improve Brain Function
Eating dark chocolate may improve brain function and help prevent neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Additionally, cocoa contains stimulant substances like caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key reason why it can improve brain function in the short term. According to Cleveland Clinic, research has shown that flavanols have a very positive effect on heart health by helping lower blood pressure and improving blood flow and enhanced brain oxygen levels and nerve function to the heart as well as the brain.
Protects Your Skin
The flavanols in dark chocolate can protect the skin against harmful UV rays. This translates to helping prevent conditions like sunburn and skin cancer. Studies show that dietary flavanols from cocoa offer photoprotection and improve dermal blood circulation.
“Chocolate doesn’t ask silly questions, chocolate understands.”
