Is Dark Chocolate Healthy?

Dark chocolate is nothing but a cocoa powder with a high percentage of cocoa solids. To qualify to be called dark chocolate, a bar should have a minimum cocoa content of 70%. Dark chocolate usually contains just between 20% and 50% of added sugar, depending on the type of dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is a food that contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. It is rich in flavanols, which have potential antioxidant benefits. Dark chocolate may contain added sugar to enhance the sweetness of the product and the overall flavour. It can be difficult for a layperson to distinguish between dark chocolate and low-quality chocolate or between dark chocolate with high cocoa content and low-quality chocolate with low cocoa content. Given that cocoa solids are a key ingredient of dark chocolate, the name "chocolate" would be misleading if used for large amounts of non-cocoa solids.

There are many dark chocolate health benefits as it contains more flavonoids than any other food that has ever been studied. Flavonoids are a group of antioxidants that help protect our bodies from ageing and disease. Antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer. Dark chocolate is also rich in minerals such as manganese, copper, iron and zinc, which are essential for good health. Dark chocolate can help in your weight loss journey as well if you inculcate them in your diet along with natural weight loss supplements.

Dark chocolate may have a number of potential health benefits. It may have antioxidant effects, a property that could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, although it has not been sufficiently studied to know if this is true. The cocoa flavanols in dark chocolate, when consumed in moderation, also appear to lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation due to their ability to dilate blood vessels.

7 Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is derived from the cocoa fruit, which grows on the cocoa tree. The cocoa fruit, which is also known as cocoa bean, is used to produce chocolate.

If you love chocolate, then we have some news for you. The gazillion dark chocolate benefits range from helping your heart to boosting your brainpower to lowering blood pressure, it can help with all kinds of things. Here are some of the benefits of eating dark chocolate:

Because it is made from unprocessed cocoa beans, dark chocolate is high in flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants that can prevent oxidative damage to your DNA, countering the effects of ageing.

A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge discovered that antioxidants in dark chocolate could help reduce the risk of heart attacks. The antioxidants can prevent cell damage and ward off life-threatening conditions like stroke and heart disease.

These antioxidants can decrease the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, thereby lessening plaque build-up in your arteries. This helps your body maintain a healthy blood flow and keep your heart strong.

Another study suggests that eating dark chocolate can help improve brain function. The study found that participants had better memory and reaction time after eating a small amount of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants that can help maintain brain health and improve memory power. 

Rich in antioxidants, dark chocolate has an array of health benefits. Dark chocolate can lower insulin levels and may be a better option than high-sugar foods, like candy. Chocolate can reduce anxiety and improve mood, as well as protect your brain from damage caused by strokes. 

Eating dark chocolate can reduce anxiety and improve mood, according to Psychology Today. The antioxidants in dark chocolate may help prevent the oxidation of fatty acids in the brain, which plays a role in memory formation and helps prevent stress-related disorders, ultimately brightening your mood.

Eating dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure and increase blood flow. Other studies have shown that the flavonoids found in chocolate may help lower blood pressure and increase blood flow.

Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, an antioxidant that keeps our vision healthy. It also contains other helpful nutrients such as magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, calcium and potassium that help in improving eyesight.

Is dark chocolate good for weight loss? Well, losing weight has become a daunting task for many as it is now almost considered impossible to lose weight and keep it off for life. Dieters try hard to follow their diet regime, but then it is not unusual for them to be hit by the ‘yo-yo’ syndrome. However, there are ways in which you can lose weight without hitting the gym and crash dieting.

If you are planning to lose weight, it is obvious that the first thing to do is to reduce calories. But do you know that the quality and density of calories also matter? Dark chocolate with around 70% cocoa has an equal number of calories as compared to milk chocolate with about 11% cocoa. But dark chocolate contains fewer carbohydrates than milk chocolate.

The high amount of fat in dark chocolate can leave you satisfied for a longer period of time, thus curbing cravings. Besides this, dark chocolate is known to act as an antioxidant, which helps cleanse your body and strengthen the immune system. It also inhibits the formation of blood clots and lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke as well as cancer. Research has shown that people who consume dark chocolate have a reduced risk of developing diabetes. Not only that, but dark chocolate is also a rich source of fibre, and with the right type of fibre, it can help prevent insulin resistance and lower blood pressure.

Take Away

Dark Chocolate has many health benefits. It is loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols and other micronutrients that have a big impact on our health. Dark chocolate for weight loss is one such benefit that you might want to know about it.

The flavanols in dark chocolate can improve the function of blood vessels, which supports circulation. It is even suggested that people who eat foods rich in flavanols are less likely to suffer from strokes and coronary heart disease. Even though the amount of flavonoids present in one bar of dark chocolate or cocoa enriched drink is small when compared to its potential benefits, it does not mean that you should not include dark chocolate in your daily diet.