Dark chocolate is a type of chocolate made from the seeds of the cocoa tree, and it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.
It may seem strange to you that chocolate has benefits as it is the first taboo for dieters, but the good news is that studies have shown that dark chocolate can improve health and reduce the risk of heart disease!
But of course, this does not mean that people should consume a lot of chocolate every day, as it is still a high-calorie, heavy meal and often contains some sugar, so maybe you can just eat a square or two and try to really taste them.
1 dark chocolate is very nutritious
If you buy good dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, it is actually very nutritious as it contains an amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals, and a 100 g bar of dark chocolate contains 70-85% cocoa:
11 grams of fiber. 67% of iron. 58% of the magnesium. 89% copper. 98% manganese. It also contains many minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, zinc and selenium.
Of course, 100 grams is a fairly large amount and you should not consume it daily, as all of these nutrients also come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar, which is why it is best to consume dark chocolate in moderation.
Fatty acids from cocoa and dark chocolate are excellent. They are also high in saturated and monounsaturated fats, and contain stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine, but in a smaller amount compared to coffee.
2 Dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants
Cocoa and dark chocolate contain a wide variety of powerful antioxidants important to your health and disease prevention, more than most other foods and even fruits that have been tested, which included blueberries and berries.
3 Dark chocolate may improve blood flow
The bioactive compounds in cocoa can send signals to the arteries to relax, which reduces the resistance to blood flow and thus reduces blood pressure, and there are many experiments that show that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lead to a slight decrease in blood pressure.
4 Dark chocolate may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
It appears that the compounds in black chocolate that lead to high protection against oxidation and lowering blood pressure, this should cause a decrease in cholesterol in the blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of heart disease in the long term.
In a study of 470 elderly men, it was confirmed that cocoa can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by a whopping 50% over a period of 15 years.
Another study revealed that eating chocolate 2 or more times a week reduced the risk of arterial clots by 32%. Eating much less chocolate had no effect
Another study showed that eating chocolate more than 5 times a week reduced the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 57%.
All three studies show that regular consumption of dark chocolate actually reduces the risk of heart disease.
5 dark chocolate may protect your skin from the sun
The bioactive compounds in it may have a great effect on your skin and protect it against damage caused by the sun's rays, improve blood flow to the skin and increase the density and hydration of the skin, so if you are planning a beach vacation, you should eat dark chocolate in the weeks and months before that.
6 dark chocolate may improve brain function
A study in healthy volunteers showed that 5 days of higher cocoa consumption improved blood flow to the brain, as well as significantly improved cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment, as well as improved verbal fluency and speech, possibly due to stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine.
-There are, of course, other benefits of dark chocolate that we did not mention, such as its delicious taste and a feeling of comfort and happiness during and after eating it.
Be aware that a lot of the dark chocolate on the market is mixed, so you should choose good ones that have 70% or higher cocoa content.