I cannot seem to get enough chocolate! If I had to eat one thing every day for the rest of my life, it would definitely be Dark chocolate. But unfortunately, as delicious as chocolate is, it is often loaded with sugar and calories.
If you’re a fitness enthusiast or trying to drop a few pounds, chocolates are a big NO! So, does that mean you have to say goodbye to your favorite food? Not really! You’ll be surprised to know that the right type of chocolate has several amazing health benefits if you eat it in moderation. We are talking about dark chocolate.
In today’s article, we’ll be talking about the benefits of building a healthy relationship with chocolate. Let’s begin the discussion.
All chocolates are not the same
Are all chocolates the same?
Before we delve into the health benefits of chocolate, let us first understand how it is different from ordinary chocolate.
This is a type of chocolate made from cocoa solids and cocoa butter without adding the milk or butter found in ordinary milk chocolates.
This chocolate without any added sugar is called bitter chocolate. When we talk about the health benefits of dark chocolate, remember that the higher the cocoa content, the better it is for your health.
Loaded with antioxidants
They provides you with some of the amazing antioxidants that fight off free radicals in your body. It sounds like a big win.
- Free radicals are produced in your body either from normal cell metabolism or from external sources like pollution, cigarette smoke, and medication.
- When free radicals accumulate in your body, it causes oxidative stress.
- Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of chronic and degenerative illnesses such as cancer, cataracts, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- The amazing part is that your body fights this oxidative stress by producing antioxidants. These are either naturally produced in your body or sourced through food. It is one such food source that provides antioxidants to help fight these free radicals.
- Some of these health-boosting antioxidants are flavanols, catechins, and polyphenols.
- The polyphenols you get from They can also help lower your bad cholesterol. It is especially effective when combined with foods such as cocoa and almonds.
- One study even showed that the combination of chocolate and cocoa has better polyphenol activity than most fruits. The study included antioxidant-rich fruits such as blueberries and acacia berries.
Helps regulate cholesterol
It is no secret how harmful high blood cholesterol levels are for your health, especially cardiovascular health. What makes high cholesterol levels dangerous is that you don’t get many warnings until it is quite late. You have to be active and vigilant to keep your cholesterol levels in check. Most people realize they have high cholesterol levels when they suffer a stroke or a heart attack.
Prevention is certainly better than cure when it comes to high cholesterol levels. This is one such food that can help reign in the numbers.
- The combination of almonds, cocoa helped reduce LDL cholesterol levels in people with obesity.
- The cocoa butter present in also helps increase your HDL cholesterol levels.
- But why should you be happy about this? Is LDL cholesterol any different from cholesterol? Actually, your body has two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL.
- Your body needs good cholesterol for several body functions. It is important to keep your good cholesterol levels higher than your bad ones to remain healthy.
- Free radicals in your body can cause oxidative damage to cholesterol as well. It is essentially taking you on the path towards heart disease. It will be especially harmful to the heart’s arteries.
- The results showed it helped reduce bad cholesterol levels in the body.
Protects skin
Eating dark in moderation can help you reach your skin goals! Dark chocolate has a few compounds that are beneficial to your skin.
- The flavanols in chocolate can shield your skin from sun damage.
- It also helps improve the blood flow to the skin and keeps it hydrated.
- Each person’s skin is unique in its own way. MED, or Minimal Erythemal Dose, is the measure of how much exposure to UV rays will cause redness in your skin.
- Research has shown that eating chocolate rich in flavanol can increase your MED by nearly double. This means your skin will have better protection when you go out into the sun.
- This is specifically helpful for people who are planning to spend time at the beach or are going on vacation to sunny places.
- It is, of course, always advisable to use sunscreen when you’re going to be out in the sun for long periods of time.
Highly nutritious
Chocolate is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about nutritious foods. But if you opt for dark chocolate with a high cocoa content and negligible added sugar, it becomes a nutritious snack. This combination has soluble fiber and a lot of minerals.
- In a 100 grams bar of chocolate with about 70% to 85% cocoa, you can get as much as 11 grams of fiber.
- You are also provided with almost double the amount of copper your body needs on a daily basis. That’s not all; you’ll get nearly all the manganese you would require every day.
- Along with these, you also get nearly two-thirds of the iron your body needs in a day, along with half the amount of magnesium required.
- They can also contains a satisfactory amount of potassium, zinc, and phosphorus.
- But this does not mean that you should eat 100 grams of dark chocolate every day. It comes with a lot of calories and sugar. Instead, you should eat dark chocolate in moderation to get the maximum benefit from it.
- It can also has a good amount of caffeine. The best part is that it is not high enough to keep you awake at night.
Lowers blood pressure & improves blood sugar
Would you like to keep your blood sugar levels in check? Looking for natural ways to help lower your blood pressure?
Eating dark chocolate with a high cocoa content can help in that case.
- Dark chocolate has flavonoids that help stimulate the arteries lining up your heart to produce nitric oxide.
- One of the functions of nitric oxide is to tell your arteries to relax. This way, there would be less resistance to blood flow. The result is a reduction in your blood pressure levels.
- Research has shown that the combination of cocoa and dark chocolate improves blood flow and regulates blood pressure.
- Another advantage of dark chocolate is that it can help improve your blood sugar levels. Dark chocolate that has a high amount of cocoa can help your body metabolize glucose.
- In one study, it was found that the flavonoids in dark chocolate reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the main factor affecting insulin resistance. Dark chocolate improves your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which reduces the chance of developing diabetes.
- Another study was conducted on participants who had very little dark chocolate. The results showed they were five times more likely to end up with diabetes five years later when compared with those who had dark chocolate at least once a week.
Reduces risk of heart disease
We just learned that dark chocolate has special compounds that help bring down your bad cholesterol levels. Over a long period of time, this would mean there’s far less cholesterol accumulated in your arteries. It drastically reduces the risk of developing heart disease.
- In one study, it was found that eating 45 grams of dark chocolate every week reduced the risk of heart disease by 11%.
- Research also showed that eating dark chocolate three times a week is adequate to reduce the risk of heart disease. Eating more than that did not seem to have any benefit.
- Certain other studies have shown that eating 1 ounce of chocolate is associated with a reduced risk of artery disease.
While all of this is true, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to eat dark chocolate in moderation. Eating too many chocolates can cause several other problems, like obesity.
Improves brain function
Dark chocolate also has the capacity to improve brain function. Chocolate can help stimulate nerve activity in the areas of the brain linked with pleasure and reward.
- In one study, it was found that eating just over an ounce of chocolate improved neuroplasticity. This is the brain’s ability to create new synaptic connections.
- When that happens, it can have a positive impact on memory, cognitive ability, and your mood as well.
Helps in weight loss
It may sound odd to say that chocolate can help you lose weight. But it is true. Eating dark chocolate can help reduce your appetite.
- When you have a reduced appetite, you are bound to eat less and stick to your weight loss goals.
- You can eat a small piece of chocolate before or after your meals. Doing so will send a signal to your brain that you are full.
- This way, you won’t end up snacking and eating too many high-calorie foods.
- Even milk chocolate can help with your weight loss program. Research has shown that eating milk chocolate can reduce your appetite and increase your body’s metabolism rate.
Conclusion
This chocolate is a delicious and nutritious food that can offer many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood sugar, protecting skin, reducing the risk of heart disease, improving brain function, and helping in weight loss. However, it is important to eat dark chocolate in moderation and choose the ones with high cocoa content and low added sugar. Dark chocolate can also be combined with other foods, such as almonds and cocoa, to enhance its effects.
FAQ
Q: How much dark chocolate should I eat per day?
A: There is no definitive answer to this question, as different studies have used different amounts and frequencies of dark chocolate consumption. However, a general guideline is to eat no more than 1 to 2 ounces of dark chocolate per day, preferably with at least 70% cocoa content.
Q: What are the side effects of eating too much dark chocolate?
A: Eating too much dark chocolate can have some negative consequences, such as weight gain, increased calorie intake, increased sugar intake, increased caffeine intake, digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and allergic reactions.
Q: Can I eat dark chocolate if I have diabetes?
A: Dark chocolate can actually help improve your blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, as it contains flavonoids that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. However, you should still be careful about the amount and type of dark chocolate you eat, as some varieties may have high sugar content or other ingredients that may affect your blood sugar levels. You should also consult your doctor before adding dark chocolate to your diet if you have diabetes or any other health condition.
Q: What is the difference between dark chocolate and milk chocolate?
A:Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter, and usually does not contain any milk or butter. Milk chocolate has a lower percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter, and contains milk or butter to give it a creamier texture and flavor. Dark chocolate is generally richer, darker, and bitterer than milk chocolate, and has more health benefits due to its higher antioxidant content.
Q: How can I choose the best dark chocolate for my health?
A: When buying dark chocolate, you should look for the following features:
- High cocoa content: The higher the percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter, the more antioxidants and flavonoids you will get from the dark chocolate. Aim for at least 70% cocoa content, or higher if you can tolerate the bitterness.
- Low added sugar: The lower the amount of added sugar, the less calories and carbs you will consume from the dark chocolate. Look for dark chocolate that has no more than 6 grams of sugar per ounce, or opt for sugar-free varieties if possible.
- Minimal ingredients: The fewer the ingredients, the more pure and natural the dark chocolate is. Avoid dark chocolate that has artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or other additives that may compromise its quality and health benefits.
- Fair trade and organic: If you want to support ethical and sustainable practices in the production of dark chocolate, look for labels that indicate fair trade and organic certification.
