Eating Dark Chocolate Keeps the Doctors Away!

Indeed, this is quite true, as based on scientific research findings that may very well alter the image of chocolate forever — from junk food to health food! Isn’t it quite refreshing? Millions all over the world would be thrilled to know that the treat they all love is also very beneficial for our health.

So start chanting now, eat chocolate for a healthier you!

Well, before, we start getting excited over this, let us discover what the scientific studies have found out about chocolate, dark chocolate in particular – the type that quite a lot of people favor.

Findings have sufficient proof to declare that dark chocolate contains much more health benefits compared to white chocolate and milk chocolate. These two latter types actually have higher contents of fat and lesser health benefits to consumers.

Dark chocolate, also considered as bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, has been found to be very beneficial for people. One of its foremost benefits is that it enhances your mood and keeps you on a lighter, happier state of emotion. It has serotonin that affects a person much like an anti-depressant would.

So now you have discovered the why your mood becomes visibly improved after a bar of chocolate on a bad day.

Furthermore, aside from soothing us and lightening up our mood, it also improves the flexibility of our blood vessels and thus, eases the circulation of blood in our system.

Another outstanding aspect of chocolate that is very beneficial for people is the fact that nutrients can be found in it that are now known to prevent cancer. Cacao, an ingredient which dark chocolate has in abundance, contains antioxidants that are essential for the body to have in order to fight free radicals that cause heart ailments and other types of diseases.

Flavonoids can be found in chocolate and is a major enemy of free radicals that may come from other foodstuffs ingested by the body or absorbed from the environment. Flavonoids, called Epicatechins and Catechins, help a lot in protecting the body’s immune system. This is why, consuming chocolate with higher cacao content, or consuming dark chocolate for that matter is healthier.

Who would think that even with the delightfully thick and velvety texture of chocolate, minerals are present in it, minerals such as iron and magnesium? Now, you know that even if you cannot resist chocolate, you are not wasting yourself away. As long as you keep it moderate, eating chocolate is perfectly healthy!

The antioxidants in chocolate have been found beneficial for joints and help in reducing pain and stiffness caused by arthritis. Getting better sleep for a well rested you on the following day is another benefits offered by chocolate’s antioxidants. Vitamin B is also present which significantly increase the energy level of the brain and body.

Who says that eating chocolate would increase your calorie consumption leading to higher cholesterol and blood pressure levels? Well, they are mistaken – and what’s best, we have the studies to prove it! Eating dark chocolate actually even helps lower the cholesterol and blood pressure levels of the body. That’s definitely a resounding “Yay!” for all chocolate lovers. Even if chocolate has fats and cholesterol, they are the good kind that does not interfere with production of insulin in the body.

Who says you will become a diabetic if you eat chocolate? These people got it all wrong – a healthy dose of dark chocolate is beneficial for diabetics, who must constantly limit their sugar consumption. Since dark chocolate is low in carbohydrates, it is good for diabetics.

However, citing the health benefits of chocolate does not mean that you have to start eating loads of chocolate now. As in all things, excessiveness is not healthy. Remember to keep things in moderation – especially in consuming your favorite chocolate.

Health Benefits Of Chocolate: Are They For Real

Few studies have proved that chocolate has health benefits. Findings have resulted to the fact that chocolate food can be actually good for the health since it contains more than 300 chemicals, where health benefits derive from. This is in contradiction to the old myth that anything that tastes good can be bad. It used to be that old folks warn their children against eating too much chocolate or other folks being very cautious believing that eating this food can be causative factor of certain illnesses.

But researches conducted demonstrated that there is quite a large amount of antioxidants, found in chocolate, and is relatively higher than other high-antioxidant foods. See one of the results of researches:

1. Cocoa powder – is found to contain the highest quantity and quality anti-oxidants.
2. Dark chocolate – is found second to cocoa powder. Results also showed that dark chocolate has eight more times of the polyphenol antioxidants than those found in strawberries.
3. Milk chocolate – is the third kind of chocolate food that contains high antioxidant contents.

Furthermore, in a research conducted in 2001, 23 participants who included in their diet dark chocolate and high flavonoid-rich cocoa powder were found to have higher HDL cholesterol, also called the good cholesterol, concentrations as opposed to other control participants. Although the investigation about the health effects of chocolate was done in a relatively small group of people, it suggested that there is more to what the chocolates were believed to have.

Subsequently, another research was done in 2005, where another small test group was involved. The output was similar, suggesting that dark chocolate can actually lower the blood pressure in individuals suffering with hypertension. It produced the comparable result as with the other research, wherein LDL cholesterol levels, or the bad cholesterol, were found to drop by at least 10 percent.

In these few researches alone, it can be concluded that chocolate food contains high amount of good chemicals, which therefore almost completely opposes the old myth and half-truths established long ago how it can never be good part of anyone’s diet. This must not be reason though for people to consume chocolate products at their own discretion.

Remember that there are chocolate foods that can be good to your health while there are others that can be bad, especially those that are highly-processed and poorly made. Some of those are chocolate candies and bars, which you often find in stores and are high in calories, sugar, and fat.

It does not necessarily mean that you have to entirely avoid these kinds of chocolate; however, take them in moderation. If you want to enjoy health benefits of chocolate, you can opt for the healthier version such as the three mentioned above.

Note too that health benefits found in chocolate are not good for your pets. This is for the reason that the food contains theobromine, a kind of stimulant and which pets cannot digest. Even baking and dark chocolate is not advised to be administered to pets. The same is true in cake, puddings, ice creams, candy bar, and cookies that contain chocolate.

For people with health concerns, it is a must to do a lot of researches about chocolate. Health benefits of chocolate may not be beneficial at all if you have a serious condition, so it will likewise help if you consult with your trusted doctor or nutritionist to avoid unnecessary medical consequences.