Why is Dark Chocolate
Healthy?:
Chocolate
is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of
dark vegetables. These benefits are fromflavonoids, which act
as antioxidants.
Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free
radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark
chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number
found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood
pressure through the
production ofnitric
oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body.
Heart Health Benefits of Dark
Chocolate:
Dark
chocolate is good for your heart. A small bar of it everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Two
heart health benefits of dark chocolate are:
·
Lower Blood
Pressure: Studies
have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce
blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.
·
Lower
Cholesterol: Dark
chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)
by up to 10 percent.
Other Benefits of Dark
Chocolate:
Chocolate also holds benefits
apart from protecting your heart:
·
it tastes good
·
it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of
pleasure
·
it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
·
it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are
stimulants
Doesn't Chocolate Have a lot
of Fat?:
Here is some more good news --
some of the fats in chocolate do not impact your cholesterol. The fats in
chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:
·
Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also
found in olive oil.
·
Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is
shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
·
Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises
cholesterol and heart disease risk.
That means only 1/3 of the fat in
dark chocolate is bad for you.
Chocolate Tip 1 - Balance the
Calories:
This information doesn't mean that
you should eat a pound of chocolate a day. Chocolate is still a high-calorie,
high-fat food. Most of the studies done used no more than 100 grams, or about
3.5 ounces, of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits.
One bar of dark chocolate has
around 400 calories. If you eat half a bar of chocolate a day, you must balance
those 200 calories by eating less of something else. Cut out other sweets or
snacks and replace them with chocolate to keep your total calories the same.
Chocolate Tip 2 - Taste the
Chocolate:
Chocolate
is a complex food with over 300 compounds and chemicals in each bite. To really
enjoy and appreciate chocolate, take the time to taste it. Professional
chocolate tasters have developed a system for
tasting chocolate that include
assessing the appearance, smell, feel and taste of each piece.
Chocolate Tip 3 - Go for Dark
Chocolate:
Dark chocolate has far more
antioxidants than milk or white chocolate. These other two chocolates cannot
make any health claims. Dark chocolate has 65 percent or higher cocoa content.
Chocolate Tip 4 - Skip the
Nougat:
You should look for pure dark
chocolate or dark chocolate with nuts, orange peel or other flavorings. Avoid
anything with caramel, nougat or other fillings. These fillings are just adding
sugar and fat which erase many of the benefits you get from eating the
chocolate.
Chocolate Tip 5 - Avoid Milk:
It may
taste good but some research shows that washing your chocolate down with a
glass of milk could prevent the antioxidants being absorbed or used by your
body.
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