What are the benefits of dark chocolate?
Dark chocolate is healthy! 5 reasons to make it part of your diet
Scientific studies have shown that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and full of nutrients, making it a super-favorite sweet and sour food.
Photo Markus Spiske in Pexels
It contains phytonutrients called flavonoids, which are plant-based chemicals that act as antioxidants and may play a role in cancer prevention, heart health and weight loss. 5 reasons to include it in your diet.
Dark chocolate can help prevent heart disease and reduce the risk of stroke.
One of the biggest benefits researchers are touting is the role dark chocolate can play in improving heart health.
A meta-analysis of eight studies on the link between chocolate consumption and cardiovascular disease, published in July 2015 in the journal Heart.
He found that people who ate more chocolate per day had a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Several observational studies have also shown that regular consumption of dark chocolate can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Researchers speculate that it is the flavonoids in dark chocolate that maintain heart health.
These chemicals help produce nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to relax and blood pressure to drop.
Improves cognition, prevents memory loss, and stimulates mood
Studies show that consumption of high concentrations of dark chocolate can be beneficial to the brain.
Chocolate stimulates neural activity in areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward, which reduces stress and improves mood.
The consumption of 48 grams of organic chocolate with 70% cocoa increases neuroplasticity in the brain, which can have positive effects on memory, cognition and mood.
Dark chocolate can improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
Eating chocolate every day does not seem to be the best way to prevent diabetes, but studies have shown that healthy amounts of dark chocolate rich in cocoa can improve the way the body metabolizes glucose.
Insulin resistance causes high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood and is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.
In a study published in October 2017 in the Journal of Community and Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives
The flavonoids in dark chocolate reduced oxidative stress, which scientists believe is the main cause of insulin resistance.
By improving the body's sensitivity to insulin, resistance is reduced and, in turn, the risk of diseases such as diabetes decreases.
Chocolate is good for your intestines and can help you lose weight.
Eating chocolate every day seems to be the ultimate way to lose weight, but research suggests that dark chocolate may play a role in appetite control, which in turn may aid in weight loss.
Chocolate acts as a prebiotic, a type of fiber that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine.
The more "good" bacteria in your system, the better your body can absorb the nutrients and support a healthy metabolism.
It fights free radicals and can play a role in cancer prevention.
Evidence that dark chocolate has properties that can help protect people against certain types of cancer is limited but growing.
Antioxidants protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules believed to be responsible for aging and disease.
Among the many flavonoids in chocolate, two in particular, epicatechin and quercetin, are believed to be responsible for anti-cancer properties.
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