You will always think that eating dark chocolate is bad for your health. Now it’s the time to know the truth about dark chocolate. So, would you like to know the benefits of dark chocolate? I will make you clear for your question through this article.
Of the entire foodstuff available on earth, dark chocolate is one of the magical and most excellent health foods around. It has recently been revealed to have various health benefits. The dark chocolate is overloaded with nutrients, which can positively influence your health. They are made from cocoa trees seeds, is one among the finest sources of antioxidant on globe. The studies have proved that dark chocolate can progress your health and also lower the threat of heart diseases.
What is dark chocolate?
Dark chocolate is also well-known as “semisweet” or “bittersweet” chocolate. It is the chocolate, which is primarily made with cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar and does not contain milk solids or milk. Dark chocolate contains rich intense flavor as well as is found in candies, baking chocolate and chocolate bars.
The ingredients in dark chocolate are:
- Cocoa powder
- Chocolate
- Cocoa butter
- Vanilla beans
- Bourbon
- Demerara sugar
May hold traces of tree nuts or peanuts or soybean or milk
Before I start to tell the health benefits of dark chocolate, I will give a simple introduction on nutritious facts of dark chocolate, things to look on in dark chocolate and exact amount you should consume.
Dark chocolate – Nutritious facts
- Calories – 155
- Cholesterol – 2 mg
- Total fat – 9 g
- Potassium – 158 mg
- Sodium – 7 mg
- Caffeine – 12 mg
- Protein – 1.4 mg
- Total carbohydrate – 17 g
How to choose the best dark chocolate
Even though the benefits of dark chocolate are abundant, when you go to buy the chocolate, there are few things you should always remember in your mind. Dark chocolate must have:
Cocoa liquor
It is sometimes called as cocoa solids, chocolate, cocoa or cocoa mass. The chocolate liquor is a name utilized for cocoa beans, which are ground into glue (paste) and also it is an ingredient used within dark chocolate that offers chocolate flavor. It is also an officially permitted name for sugarless chocolate.
Sugar
The acceptable substitutes are molasses, cane juice as well as other natural sweeteners. Sugar is naturally the 2nd most common ingredient found in dark chocolate, also constitutes an even more considerable part of white and milk chocolates. The dark chocolate differs in quantity of sugar from 3.5 to 13 grams. You must remain away from the dark chocolate, which contains unnatural fillings like mint crème or caramel; this will just enhance the sugar content.
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is said to be naturally happening obese in cocoa beans. Cocoa butter was extracted from the chocolate liquor through pressing and is normally deodorized and filtered before use. The main purpose of cocoa butter within chocolate is to lubricate and suspend sugar particles. It lowers the thickness of melted chocolate; however does not itself importantly contribute to cocoa flavor, which has its own little flavor. Cocoa butter has some unique qualities which make it an extremely attractive fat.
Cacao
Cacao is the most important source of benefits within the sustenance (nutrition) of dark chocolate. When you have found that dark chocolate may possibly be beneficial towards depression, it is due to the result of cocoa on brain. It is a forerunner to significant neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine; these brain compounds are connected with feelings of happiness and well being. Besides the productivity of neurotransmitters in brain, it encourages their uninterrupted transmission in the similar way that several antidepressants function.
Vanilla
It is optional. Vanillin is the bogus vanilla made of pine sap. So you must avoid it!
Soy lecithin
It is optional. Soy lecithin is used to create the chocolate bind collectively better. The soy lecithin is sold like health food supplement, although some quarrel which it is not fit.
Add-ins
Any add-ins like nuts, flavorings or fruits, ensure none are hydrogenated or artificial.
How much dark chocolate you should eat per day?
Researchers have found that eating an exact quantity of chocolate – 6.7 grams per day will help you to get the benefits of dark chocolate very easily. If you eat more than this, then the dark chocolate benefits will even disappear and diminish.
What to look for in dark chocolate?
When you buy the dark you must look into the packaging and ensure that there is a minimum of seventy percent (70%) of pure cocoa in it.
Note:
100 gram of dark chocolate along with 70 to 80% cocoa includes:
- Fiber – 11 grams
- Iron – 67% of RDA
- Magnesium – 58% of RDA
- Copper – 89% of RDA
- Manganese – 98% of RDA
It also contains lots of phosphorus, selenium, zinc and potassium.
Dark chocolate health benefits
There are various health benefits in dark chocolate. Read on the lists to know their beneficial effects.
It is good for heart
Similar to tea, dark chocolate also contains flavonoids that are compounds which acts like antioxidants. The flavonoids help to protect your cells from harmful molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are produced when your body is exposed to smoke or sunlight or breaks down food. As dark chocolate comprises flavonoids, the regular intake of dark chocolate will help to reduce the danger of developing cardiovascular illness by more than 50%, reduce the increase of plague within arteries and even it reduce the danger of death from cardiovascular illness among aged people above the flow of many years.
Note:
Researchers have concluded that people who took more dark chocolate every week owned the 37% lower risk of heart disease than people who took smallest quantity of dark chocolate.
It is good for brain
The health benefits of dark chocolate are abundant. But, naturally people will look into the dark chocolate as foe for their health. The truth is! Eating dark chocolate helps to increase the blood flow to brain that may decrease the results of aging on your brain and make you sharper. It also includes some chemical compound, which have result on your cognitive health and mood. Dark chocolate contains PEA (phenylethylamine), the same chemical substance your brain creates as soon as you feel like you are falling in love. Phenylethylamine promotes your brain to free endorphins, so when you eat dark chocolate you can make yourself feel happier.
It helps you to prevent cancer
Proof that dark chocolate might play a significant role in the prevention of cancer is limited but is growing. The preliminary studies made on three continents like Asia, North America and Europe have revealed that people who consumed a lot of antioxidant and flavonoids rich chocolate develop less cancers than people who do not consume them. From lots of flavonoids in chocolate, the two particularly quercetin and epicatechin are considered to be liable for cancer fighting properties.
It is filled with Antioxidants
The dark chocolate is weighed down with organic compounds, which are biologically energetic and function like antioxidants. These contain catechins, flavanols, and polyphenols. The study has proved that dark chocolate contains more antioxidant, flavanols and polyphenols than other foods. Antioxidants help to release your body from free radicals that cause oxidative harm to the cells. As the free radicals are concerned in aging process as well as possibly a cause of cancer, therefore consuming antioxidant rich foods such as dark chocolate will slow the aging signs and protects you from several types of cancer.
It protects your skin from sun
The next amazing dark chocolate benefits! It protects the skin against sun. German researchers discovered that flavonoids present in dark chocolate soak up UV light, aid protect and boost blood flow to your skin. It also helps to improve complexion and skin hydration. Are you planning for beach vacation? If it so, then consider loading on dark chocolate in previous weeks and months.
It is high in Minerals and Vitamins
Dark chocolate includes various minerals and vitamins that support your health. It contains lots of essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, calcium, manganese, potassium and vitamins like B1, B3, B2, E, C, A and panthothenic acid. Potassium and copper present in dark chocolate helps to prevent against cardiovascular ailments and stroke. The iron in dark chocolate helps to protect against iron deficiency (insufficiency) anemia, magnesium helps to prevent high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
It helps to improve your mood
This is not an imagination; some research says that dark chocolate really helps to boost up your mood. It is not a magic, it is a fatty acid, which do’s the trick. Besides its health boosting flavonoids, the 2 fatty acid in dark chocolate are: stearic and palmitic acids. Dark chocolate encourages the production of chemicals, endorphins in brain, which brings the feel of pleasure on your mind. It also includes the chemical serotonin that acts like anti-depressant.
It boosts blood circulation
When you search for the dark chocolate health benefits, your search will never end without this benefit. As said by recent research, the healthy men who ate flavanol rich dark chocolate can see development in the blood flow through their arteries. A bioactive compounds present in dark chocolate improve the blood flow in arteries as well as cause a little but statistically essential reduce in blood pressure.
It is related with weight loss
Dark chocolate not just aid you to shed unwanted pounds, but it also supplies a mass of healthy benefits which sets other indulgence to dishonour or shame. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate 3 days per week helps your body to reduce stress, inhibit insulin resistance, digest food you eat and hydrocortone levels as well as prevents you from overeating.
It helps you to live longer
As though the other dark chocolate benefits were not enough, there is one more benefit that eating 1 or 2 doses of dark chocolate for each week can help you to live longer. The researchers compared people who ate dark chocolate with people who did not and discovered that those who ate lived 1 year longer.
I trust the above given information helped you to know on benefits of dark chocolate. Enjoy eating dark chocolate! Enjoy the health benefits! Have a healthy life!
