You probably already know that chocolate is one of the most popular foods and that it pretty much improves everything when you have some, but as it turns out, science has also concluded that dark chocolate, in particular, has health benefits as well!
Dark chocolate is rich in beneficial nutrients, such as minerals and antioxidants, that help enhance your general health and mood.
It also helps fight fatigue since it has a high fiber content.
On the other hand, magnesium is present as well, which can help you sleep better.
Dark chocolate flavanols may even protect your skin from UV rays.
Along with enhancing blood flow and decreasing blood pressure, those flavonols may help in the prevention of various other illnesses.
Read on to find out more information that may help you better appreciate how this delicious guilty pleasure might be advantageous to you.
According to a new study, the soothing benefits of dark chocolate (85 percent cacao or more) are true since individuals who ingested it for three weeks had fewer adverse effects than the control group.
The fact that the 70 percent cacao group’s results were different shows that the cacao content could be really important.
Dark chocolate may thus be more effective in improving your mood than milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate also has considerable levels of minerals including iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.
In a previous interview for USA TODAY, Dr. Travis Nemkov discussed the critical role that iron plays in the body.
He said that “Iron is critical for the body to produce haemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that uses iron to transport oxygen throughout the body.”
Dr. Nemkov explained that “Rich sources of iron include fortified cereals, red meat, poultry, fish, oysters, kidney or red beans, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, tofu, spinach, dark leafy greens, potatoes, cashews, and, most importantly, dark chocolate (45–69 percent cacao).”
Another type of antioxidant present in dark chocolate called flavanols may help lessen the chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
Of course, as with most things, moderation is the key in this situation.
The high calorie count in chocolate might lead to weight gain in the long run.
Although dark chocolate is superior in this regard, both milk and dark chocolate have the potential to be rich in sugar.
Consuming dark chocolate, however, is likely to provide more benefits than drawbacks so keep that in mind.
