This might be hard to believe, but chocolate is actually healthy for you! Yes, you heard that right. Now, I’m not talking about low quality, sugary, milk chocolate. I’m referring to high-quality dark chocolate, made with real cacao. The cacao bean is one of the highest sources of antioxidants on earth. It is also packed full of flavonoids and theobromine, which are great for disease prevention.
(Photo: Mouth)
What makes dark chocolate so healthy?
The higher the cacao content, the higher the nut
ritional value. It’s important to look for chocolate that contains 70-85% cocoa to ensure you are getting the most nutrients. Aside from antioxidants, chocolate also contains soluble fiber and minerals, such as iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, and potassium.
Here are 5 sweet benefits of chocolate:
1. Heart Health
Research has been conducted that shows chocolate is excellent for your cardiovascular health. It has been proven that eating one or two servings (this would be about one or two ounces) every week decreases the risk of heart failure by a third. In fact, dark chocolate contains more flavonoids than an apple. Now you don’t have to feel guilty about having a space square of dark chocolate after dinner!
Some of my all-time favorite brands of high-quality dark chocolate:
(Photo: Alter Eco)
(Photo: Eating Evolved)
(Photo: Equal Exchange)
2. Stress Reducer
Do you notice that when you have had a stressful day, all you want to do is dig into anything sweet? This is because sweets provide temporary bliss to our brains. Eating a piece of dark chocolate actually lowers the stress hormone, known as cortisol. So what does this mean? The next time you feel stressed, reach for a square or dark chocolate.
3. Raises HDL and Protects Against LDL
Let’s get one thing straight first: HDL is the good cholesterol and LDL is the bad cholesterol. Cacao has been proven to increase HDL and significantly decrease oxidized LDL cholesterol. The high amount of antioxidants found in the cacao travel through the bloodstream and protect against any damage. Next time you enjoy a piece of dark chocolate your heart is thanking you!
4. Protects Your Skin Against the Sun
Next time you are planning to head to the beach, make sure you bring some dark chocolate to munch on. That’s right; dark chocolate can act as a great protector for your skin. The flavonols protect against sun damage, improve blood flow, and increase hydration. However, this doesn’t mean that you are free to skip out on sunscreen (that’s a must!).
5. Boosts Brain Power
Consuming cacao rich in flavonols has been linked to improving performance and alertness, especially when you’re feeling under pressure. The flavonols improve the blood flow to the brain. In addition, cacao also improves verbal fluency and multiple risk factors for diseases.
What You Should Take Away from This Info:
- There are several proven scientific studies to back up the nutritional data behind dark chocolate
- This does not mean that you should go out to the store and load up on chocolate. Keep in mind that chocolate still in high in calories and can have added sugar (depending on the brand). Still, eat in moderation!
- You can feel good about indulging in a little dark chocolate.
