Delicious news! Dark chocolate and cocoa may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Rich in plant based antioxidants and flavanols, this may positively affect cardiovascular and immune systems.
Increased research is needed, however dark chocolate and cocoa may:
- Help arteries relax and widen, lowering blood pressure
- Help limit buildup of plaque in arteries
- Help blood platelets be less "sticky", which promotes blood flow and help maintaining healthy blood sugar levels
Along with other benefits such as brain health, enjoying moderate chocolate consumption can increase your intake of a powerful antioxidant.
Best healthy chocolate:
- Dark chocolate and cocoa, which are rich in flavanols
- Natural cocoa, which is not alkalized
- Lightly alkalized cocoas, known as "Dutch" cocoa
- Darker chocolates made with at least 60% cocoa bean content or "cacao"
Be mindful as chocolate contains fat and added sugar that provide additional calories, so eat it in moderation to prevent weight gain.
ORAC (oxygen radical absorbency capacity) score of Dark Chocolate 13,120. Daily suggested optimal consumption is between 3,000 and 5,000 ORAC units a day.
ORAC comparisons:
Milk Chocolate - 6,740
Blueberries - 2,400
Apple - 207
More on antioxidant foods, chocolate benefits and healthy chocolate recipes
Comments
Oh oh, you missed one. Chocolate is a good source of resveratrol, too. That's the antioxidant found in red wine most scientists attribute to health. It just so happens - it's in chocolate too. Abide by the above advice about which chocolate - just know there's one more reason - resveratrol.
source: Benefits-of-resveratrol.com
Dan,
Thank you for pointing out the information on resveratrol, and for posting the link as well.
Teresa
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