7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Consuming the best Benefits of Dark chocolate with high cocoa content in moderation may help prevent heart disease by providing antioxidants and minerals. However, it may also contain a lot of calories and sugar.
Dark chocolate is fully loaded with pure nutrients that can positively affect your health.
It is one of the best sources of antioxidants that you can find and is made from the seed of the cacao tree.
Dark chocolate has been shown to improve health and reduce the risk of heart disease in studies.
Here are seven scientifically proven health benefits of dark chocolate or cocoa.
1. Very nutritious
If you purchase quality dull chocolate with a high cocoa content, it’s very nutritious.
It contains a nice measure of solvent fiber and is stacked with minerals.
A 100-gram bar of dull chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains :
- 11 grams of fiber
- 66% of the DV for iron
- 57% of the DV for magnesium
- 196% of the DV for copper
- 85% of the DV for manganese
What’s more, it has a lot of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium.
Naturally, 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces, is a significant amount and should not be consumed daily. In addition, these nutrients contain 600 calories and a moderate amount of.
For this reason, dark chocolate should only be best consumed in moderation.
Both dark chocolate and cocoa have a favorable fatty acid profile. The majority of the fats are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid, which is a healthy fat for the heart and is also found in olive oil.
Stearic acid impartially affects body cholesterol. Palmitic acid can raise cholesterol levels, yet it just makes up 33% of the complete fat calories.
Additionally containing stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, dark chocolate is unlikely to keep you awake at night due to its low caffeine content.
SUMMARY
High-quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, copper, manganese, iron, magnesium, and a few other minerals.
2. Powerful source of antioxidants
ORAC, which stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, is a potential source of antioxidants. It is a measure of a food’s antioxidant capacity.
Essentially, researchers test a sample of the food against a bunch of harmful free radicals to see how well the antioxidants in the food can destroy the free radicals.
Based on these studies, chocolate contains a lot of antioxidants. But the biological relevance of ORAC values is questioned, as it’s measured in a test tube and might not have a similar impact on the body.
Chocolate does not always show the same range of antioxidant effects in human studies. However, experts claim that there isn’t enough evidence to say for sure.
Dark chocolate is fully loaded with Organic compounds that are biologically active and serve as antioxidants. Polyphenols, flavanols, catechins, and others are examples of these. When paired with other foods like cocoa and almonds, the polyphenols in dark chocolate may help lower some forms of LDL (bad) cholesterol, according to research.
According to one study, cocoa and dark chocolate contained more flavanols, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity than any other fruit tested, including blueberries and acai berries.
SUMMARY
Both dark chocolate and cocoa contain a wide range of powerful antioxidants. In fact, They have far more than most different food varieties.
3. May improve blood flow and lower blood pressure
The flavonoids in dark chocolate can encourage the production of nitric oxide by the endothelium, the lining of the arteries.
One of the functions of NO is to convey messages to the arteries to relax, which brings the obstruction down to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure.
Although the effects are typically mild, numerous controlled studies demonstrate that dark chocolate and cocoa can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.
However, take this with a grain of salt because one study in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure found no effect. Cocoa flavanols may not provide any additional benefits to individuals who are already receiving treatment for high blood pressure.
Additional research is required given the wide range of differences between studies on this topic.
SUMMARY
The bioactive compounds in cocoa may lower blood pressure and improve blood flow in the arteries, both of which are statistically significant.
4. Raises HDL and protects LDL from oxidation
Dark chocolate consumption has been linked to improvements in many important risk factors for heart disease. It might help prevent high cholesterol.
Consuming dark chocolate with the flavanol lycopene was found to significantly lower total cholesterol, LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), and triglycerides in a small study.
When they interact with free radicals in your body, some forms of LDL cholesterol are more likely to oxidize. The LDL particle itself becomes reactive and can harm other tissues, like the heart’s artery lining, through oxidation.
It makes perfect sense that cocoa reduces LDL which is susceptible to oxidation. It has a lot of potent antioxidants that prevent oxidative damage to lipoproteins and make it into the bloodstream.
Dark chocolate flavanols have also been shown to lower insulin resistance, a common risk factor for diabetes and heart disease.
However, dark chocolate likewise contains sugar, which can have the opposite effect.
SUMMARY
Consuming dark chocolate lowers several significant disease risk factors. It brings down oxidation-inclined LDL and further develops insulin awareness.
5. May reduce heart disease risk
The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be exceptionally defensive against the oxidation of LDL.
This should reduce the likelihood of heart disease in the long run by preventing a significant buildup of cholesterol in the arteries.
In fact, research demonstrates a significant improvement.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that chocolate or cocoa rich in flavanols can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health over time.
According to a review of studies, consuming chocolate three times a week reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 9 percent. There was no additional benefit from eating chocolate more frequently.
According to the findings of another review, consuming 45 grams of chocolate each week lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11%. It does not appear that consuming more than 100 grams per week has any positive effects on health.
Almonds with or without dark chocolate were found to lower LDL cholesterol in participants in a 2017 clinical trial.
All of these results look promising, but more research is needed to determine whether chocolate reduced risk.
However, it is plausible that regularly consuming dark chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease due to the biological process that is known to occur (lower blood pressure and lower LDL, which is prone to oxidation).
SUMMARY
Research shows a decrease in heart disease risk among people who consume a moderate measure of chocolate.
6. May protect your skin from the sun
Dark chocolate’s bioactive compounds may also be beneficial to your skin.
The flavonols can prevent sun damage, increase skin density and hydration, and increase blood flow to the skin.
The negligible erythemal portion (MED) is the few amounts of UVB rays required to cause redness in the skin 24 hours after exposure.
After consuming dark chocolate or cocoa with a lot of flavanol for 12 weeks, studies have shown that MED can increase or even double. Your skin is better protected from the sun as a result.
Consider consuming more dark chocolate in the weeks and months before your beach vacation. But before giving up your usual skincare routine in favor of eating more dark chocolate, talk to your doctor or dermatologist. Also, keep in mind that chocolate cannot substitute for using sunscreen and other sun protection products.
SUMMARY
Studies indicate that cocoa flavanols can increase blood flow to the skin and prevent sun damage.
7. Could improve brain function
The good news is not yet over. Dark chocolate may also help your brain work better.
Consuming cocoa with a high flavanol content has been shown to increase brain blood flow in young adults. Consuming cocoa on a daily basis appears to improve memory, verbal learning, and attention.
Cocoa flavonoids may also reduce the risk of developing dementia and maintain cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. However, more study is required.
Additionally, the presence of stimulants like theobromine and caffeine in cocoa may play a significant role in the short-term improvement of brain function.
SUMMARY
By increasing blood flow, dark chocolate or cocoa may improve brain function. It additionally contains energizers like caffeine and theobromine.
Finishing Lines
There is considerable evidence that cocoa can give strong medical advantages, being particularly defensive against heart disease.
Obviously, this does not mean that you should eat a lot of chocolate every day. It still has a lot of calories, making it easy to eat too much.
After dinner, maybe have a few squares and try to enjoy them. Consider making hot cocoa without cream or sugar if you want the health benefits of cocoa without the calories of chocolate.
Also, keep in mind that not all of the chocolate on the market is healthy.
Select high-quality items: dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.
Sugar is typically present in small amounts in dark chocolates, and the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it will contain.
Chocolate is an amazing food that is both delicious and good for your health.