5 Healthy Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate has multiple benefits. However, you will be surprised to know that it is also proven to be good for your heart and skin! Go ahead and read on to find out more about the benefits of eating dark chocolate.
Why is Eating Dark Chocolate Good for You?
Full of Nutrition
Dark chocolate is full of healthy nutrients. If the dark chocolate that you get for yourself is full of high cocoa content, then it has more nutrition. It contains minerals and also a lot of soluble fiber. A 100-gram of dark chocolate consists of the following nutrition if it has 70 to 85% of cocoa in it:
- 11 grams of fiber
- 67% of the DV for iron
- 58% of the DV for magnesium
- 89% of the DV for copper
- 98% of the DV for manganese
Along with the above-mentioned nutrients, it also has a lot of phosphorous, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus. However, you must not consume this small amount of dark chocolate all at once. One hundred grams is quite abundant. You can only take a little, and that will be enough. Chocolate is quite nutritious, but it has calories ranging from 500 to 600 in every 100 grams of chocolate. Also, dark chocolate is not completely without sugar. It has some sugar, so consuming 100 grams can be too much for anyone.
It is always best to consume dark chocolate in moderation. Dark chocolate has cocoa in it, and cocoa has fatty acids. The fat found in this chocolate is oleic acid which is a healthy fat. This healthy fat is also found in olive oil. Dark chocolate also has palmitic acid and stearic acid, which are also good for your health. Stearic acid helps neutralize bad cholesterol in the body, which is good for your heart health.
An important thing to note about the compilation of dark chocolate is that it also has caffeine and theobromine but in very small amounts compared to other forms of caffeine, such as tea and coffee. So, if you want to replace your caffeine cravings with lower amounts, then you can switch to dark chocolate.
Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate-Helps in Enhancing Blood Flow and Lowering Blood Pressure
Dark chocolate consists of flavanols which can help stimulate the endothelium. The endothelium is the lining of the arteries in the heart. This allows the production of nitric oxide. An important role of nitric oxide is that it helps the arteries relax. This resists the high pressure of the blood, and stimulates the blood flow. This, in turn, reduces high blood pressure. Studies have shown that dark chocolate and cocoa powder can help in lowering blood pressure and improving the blood flow in your body.
Even though the results are slow and not instant, the results can be seen in a couple of months. Plus, it has no side effects on the body, so this ingredient is worth a try. Dark chocolate has many bioactive compounds that can stimulate the blood flow in the body. It shows a statistically significant decrease in the blood pressure of people who take it regularly in small quantities.
Dark Chocolate Protects LDL from Oxidation and Raises HDL
Your heart can become more protected from many risk factors and health conditions if you consume dark chocolate. In a study, it was seen that people who consumed cocoa powder experienced lower cholesterol levels. The chocolate seems to target only the bad cholesterol in the body, which can be harmful for heart health and lead to strokes, heart failure, etc. There was an increase in HDL, and the total LDL in the body was decreased in people who had high cholesterol.
Oxidation of LDL means that the LDL cholesterol has reacted with the free radicals in the body, which is not good for your health. This can cause oxidative damage to your important organs, especially your heart, and lead to deadly situations. It is suggested to consume dark chocolate in smaller quantities since the LDL won’t oxidize, which is better for your health and the health of your heart.
The oxidation with the free radicals makes the LDL particle itself reactive and capable of damaging various other issues as well, which are crucial for the functioning of the body, such as the lining of the arteries of your heart.
Since chocolate has so many antioxidants, it can help in protecting the lipoproteins against oxidative damage, which is good for your health and body. So, the cocoa powder in dark chocolate helps in lowering the oxidation process of LDL. The flavanonols present in dark chocolate also help in the reduction of insulin resistance. It ensures that your body stays away from diabetes and heart-related health conditions. However, people with diabetes must not consume too much dark chocolate. The sugar level in it can be harmful to their health as well. Diabetics should take a consultation with their doctor about it and only then consume it.
Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate-Helps in the Reduction of Risk of Heart Disease
Dark chocolate has compounds that provide a lot of protection against the oxidation of LDL with free radicals. This way, fewer cholesterol lodges in the arteries, and the risk of your heart getting a health condition decreases. The studies conducted on several people show that after long-term observation, there was a drastic improvement in the cholesterol levels of those who consumed dark chocolate. This study was conducted on 470 older men who were more prone to the risk of death due to heart disease by 50 percent in 50 years. However, this risk was reduced to just half of the consumption of dark chocolate.
Another study showed that if you eat chocolate 2 to 3 times in the time of one week, then the risk of developing blockage due to cholesterol decreases. You also reduce your risk of calcified plaque in the arteries by almost 32% in the arteries of the heart responsible for transporting blood from the heart to other parts of the body. However, on the other hand, if you consume no chocolate or less than the mentioned percentage, there will be no effect on your condition. One more study showed that if people consumed dark chocolate more than five times per week, their heart condition risk was reduced by around 57%.
Dark chocolate has been shown to reduce the risk of heart-related diseases, not just normal changes but drastic reductions. In 2017, one clinical trial was also conducted that showed that people who consumed almonds with dark chocolate also showed improvement in their LDL cholesterol levels. These are just four studies that were conducted. However, there are many more that show the same results.
Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate-Provides Protection from the Skin
Dark chocolate has bioactive compounds that are great not only for your heart health but also for your skin. This kind of chocolate has flavanols that protect your skin against sun damage. They also improve the flow of blood to your skin which keeps the free radicals away. This also improves your skin’s elasticity, increases its density, and keeps it hydrated for longer hours, even on hot summer days. Even though dark chocolate has flavanols that are fruitful for the health of your skin, you must still check with your dermatologist before making any final decision for your skin because everyone has different requirements and different types of skin.
Takeaway
These are some of the benefits of consuming dark chocolate in small quantities that can help you improve your health. However, you must always make sure that you consult with your doctor before introducing dark chocolate into your diet. So, now that you know all about these benefits, you can trust this to be the best gift for your loved ones. You can order chocolates online in the Philippines for your close ones from our website, Florista.ph, and make them feel special. Since dark chocolate is also a healthy gift, we are sure that they will understand your thoughtfulness behind the gift and be eternally grateful.
You can easily order chocolates online in Philippines from our site for your close ones right from the home. You can also opt for same-day delivery of chocolates online in the Philippines from our website and get the order delivered right on time at your desired location. We have a dedicated team of delivery who will make sure to deliver your order on time.
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