Healthy? Chocolate? Sounds like a dream come true for many. Yet scientists are uncovering facts that dark chocolate has many healthy aspects.
How can chocolate be healthy? Many people forget that chocolate is a plant-based food. It’s actually a fruit. It grows in bunches on a cocoa tree. Up until the mid 1800s, chocolate was only used as a drink. The chocolate that became very popular in the past had only 11-15% chocolate actually in it. The rest--milk and sugar.
Chocolate is packed with flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body. In fact, ounce for ounce, dark chocolate and cocoa have more antioxidants than do foods like blueberries, green tea and red wine.
The key is to pick good quality dark chocolate, not milk chocolate or white chocolate, which has too much sugar and not enough pure chocolate in it to be healthy. Look for at least 70% dark chocolate. The taste will be a bit bitter, but you only need a small amount a day to reap the benefits.
Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate:
- Lower Blood Pressure: Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.
- Lower Cholesterol: Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.
- It stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure
- It contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
- It contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants
It is good to know that chocolate contains ingredients beneficial to our health. However, it does not necessarily mean you should eat more chocolate products. Chocolate bars and candies are often high in fat, sugar and calories. Moderation is always the key - having a decadent piece of chocolate once in a while is not going to harm your health, either. If you have a choice, choose dark chocolate for its higher flavonoid content.
Check food labels when shopping for dark chocolate. Chocolate with ingredients such as milk fat, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, coconut or palm oil contains the more harmful saturated fats (those that increase blood cholesterol levels, putting both arteries and heart at risk).
Common Pitfalls
Overindulging, a common dilemma when one square of chocolate is not enough, may contribute to unexpectedly packing on those pounds. Portion control is a key factor to maintaining an adequate weight while reaping the benefits of dark chocolate's antioxidant effect.
Comments
Happy to hear I might be able to lower my BP with a bit of dark chocolate. This is definitely an experiment worth conducting!
If you want the chocolate that is the HIGHEST in Antioxidants, Flavanols, and Flavonoids, you need to try the one that is available @ www.9outof10loveit.com, it is the only truly HEALTHY CHOCOLATE, I have been eating it and had a great reduction in my blood pressure, and my partner had improvements form an inflammation standpoint. This chocolate is Belgian, it has no refined sugars, NO Bad fats (Only Cocoa butter, and thats a neutral fat), low in calories, and they have like protein bars and stuff too. I'm not a science type guy but I know I eat ti everyday and it has helped me a lot, I would recomeend you give it a try!
Take the www.healthychoctour.com I would be happy to send you a sample!! The only true Healthy Chocolate, and the best tasting chocolate you have ever had.
To learn more about the wonderful benefits of dark chocolate, go to lovemyxocai.com and take the science tour.
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YES! I love seeing articles that discuss how healthy chocolate is for you! I love Endangered Species Chocolate. I have a piece or two of their all natural, dark chocolate with cocoa nibs, which is 72% cocoa, almost every day! SO yummy!
I ate dark chocolate almost every day while training for my competition in April 2009... it can't be that bad :)
For chocolate that fits the bill, you should have cocoa that has not been heated or alkalized. This is difficult to find in the stores and only one company makes it with all natural ingredients and maximum healthy benefits. MyFitChocolate
The research is out there and the key is finding the right chocolate. Even the best chocolate in the stores pales in flavanol levels to Xocai.
XocaiSanDiego.com
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