Can this sweet treat many of us enjoy really be healthy for us? Although research is growing on this topic, some experts believe that there are benefits to eating chocolate. When they talk about chocolate they are referring to mainly darker chocolate, not milk chocolate or white chocolate. If you are a chocolate lover like me, then you would love to believe that it could possibly be a health food!
You might be wondering: what makes the dark bar better than all other types of chocolate? Why should you replace the sugary, milky dessert with the full-on cacao flavor?
It Has Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidants protect your body’s cells from heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. That’s because they balance out the damaging effects of free radicals.
Cocoa beans contain flavanols. These are antioxidants, which reduce the damage free radicals cause to the body’s cells.
Although scientific studies are not particularly clear whether eating chocolate reduces the risk of getting certain cancers, they show that flavanols support the heart’s work.
Since these antioxidants are found in cocoa beans, it means you should eat chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa in its ingredient list. Dark chocolate that is.
Dark Chocolate Can Boost Your Focus
Imagine a student who’s too tired from studying and writing. They come to this point: “I’ll just hire a pro to write my essay, and I’ll go to sleep.” Before getting to that bold decision, the student may try a healthy meal that would boost their energy. Dark chocolate can be the dessert.
One study found that flavanol-rich chocolate improved the brain’s cognitive functions in healthy young people. That sounds promising, doesn’t it?
It Protects Your Skin from Dehydration
The antioxidants in dark chocolate will help you stay protected under the sun. They increase hydration and skin density by improving the blood flow to the skin.
Pick up a few bars when packing for your next vacation. But please; don’t assume you’ll need less water. You still need plenty of it!
It Supports the Functions of Your Heart
This is another health benefit linked to antioxidants. Flavanols effectively prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol). One study showed that they also reduced the calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries.
With that, they reduce the risk of heart disease.
Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure
We’ll keep talking about flavanols since that’s the most surprising health gain of dark chocolate. Do you know what else they do? They stimulate the lining of your arteries to produce NO (nitric oxide), which relaxes the arteries. With that, it improves the blood flow within your entire system.
Cocoa Is Rich in Good Nutrients
High-quality dark chocolate gives you plenty of fiber, so it’s great for your diet. It also boosts you up with high levels of manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, selenium, zinc, and potassium. It’s a natural health booster, so why would you avoid it?
Of course, a bar of chocolate also contains a lot of calories, so it’s important not to go overboard with the consumption. You’ll get the most significant potential out of any healthy food when you consume it in moderation.
It Boosts Your Energy Levels
Cocoa is relatively rich in theobromine and caffeine, which are known to stimulate your energy level. We’re saying “relatively” rich since the levels are not as high when you compare them to coffee. Still, dark chocolate will make you feel a bit more awake if you consume it at breakfast.
Chocolate Is Important for Pregnant Women
Well, that’s some good news!
Fetal growth is a complex process that requires an endless list of vitamins and minerals. Eating about 30 grams of dark chocolate every day will contribute to a proper pregnancy diet. We already talked about the iron, zinc, magnesium, and all other useful nutrients in cocoa. When you add the antioxidant effect into the picture, it’s clear why future mommies should indulge in some chocolate without feeling guilty.
Dark Chocolate May Help in Diabetes Prevention
But it still has sugar in it? How could it prevent diabetes?
Yes; it sounds crazy. But when eaten in moderation, dark chocolate improves insulin sensitivity in your body. With that, it may prevent the onset of diabetes, at least temporarily.
Chocolate Makes You Happy
Let’s switch the talk from antioxidants to another important chemical: PEA (phenylethylamine). What does it do? It triggers your brain to release endorphins – the chemicals it produces when you feel happy or in love. It’s no wonder why you suddenly feel sooooo good after tasting a piece of a high-quality chocolate bar.
Plus, let’s talk about cooking with chocolate. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. You may prepare your favorite oatmeal recipe in the morning and add a bit of dark chocolate for that extra boost. It will completely change the game, and you’ll feel happy about that meal.
Chocolate makes you even happier when you share it. So bring your favorite bar to work or school!
FINAL WORD
Depending on the type of chocolate you eat can determine the benefits of it. If you consume white chocolate then you are not getting any of the cocoa solids so it would not benefit your health in any way. Chocolate that we eat also has many additives in it that makes it high in calories, and we all know that our weight is associated with our health as well. For those of you who are eating chocolate, try eating dark chocolate. I know it has a bitter flavor compared to the sweet/smooth flavor of milk chocolate, but it does have health benefits.
Remember the Moderation Rule
When you realize that dark chocolate is so good for your health, you might feel encouraged to eat a lot of it.
We should always know the difference between “It tastes nice” and “It’s good for me.” Although cocoa-rich chocolate is both these things, it stops being good when you use its health benefits as an excuse to eat more of it.
No; a piece of dark chocolate in the evening won’t fix the damage you made by smoking eating junk food all day. The antioxidants may help a bit, but you need to make many other changes in your diet. That’s how you’ll feel the health benefits of everything you eat.
For now, let’s enjoy chocolate without all the health talk behind that. We’re allowed to do that but in moderation. Hopefully, the list of health benefits above inspired you to choose dark over milk chocolate every time. It’s way better!
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