It’s a great feeling to learn that something that tastes so good, can actually be good for us too!
When it comes to chocolate, it can be a mine-field when making your choice as many bars of chocolate are full of sugar, preservatives and additives.
But by choosing a bar of organic dark chocolate that is free of all these rubbish ingredients, you can help to build up your health and enjoy each bite even more.
1. Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally
Back in 2003, a German study came out that was the first to really demonstrate the benefits that dark chocolate can offer us. From this study it was suggested that eating dark chocolate daily could go on to help lower high blood pressure in people with moderately high blood pressure levels[1].
In this study, the participants were given 100 grams of dark chocolate to eat daily for 2 weeks straight. At the end of the study researchers discovered the participants dropped an average of 5 points in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and 2 points for diastolic (the bottom number).
There have been a number of other studies conducted that have found just by eating a little dark chocolate your blood flow can increase around the body. Another study in Germany finding that just 30 calories of dark chocolate a day can still lower blood pressure over time.
2. Hearty Good
One way to reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries is to eat dark chocolate regularly. By reducing the buildup of plaque, you are helping to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by a huge 50 percent[2].
Elderly people may even reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease if they eat dark chocolate over the course of many years.
All of the benefits dark chocolate can offer the heart come from the blood pressure lowering capabilities, and its connection with being able to lower HDL levels (negative cholesterol).
3. Boost Your Antioxidant Levels
The best way to protect the body from the damaging effects of aging is to increase the amount of antioxidants you take in through your diet. This is where dark chocolate can help save the day again as it is packed full of antioxidants.
Researchers also found that those people who ate dark chocolate had more antioxidants circulating in their blood stream than people who had eaten milk chocolate or who followed their dark chocolate bar with a glass of milk.
4. Magnesium Rich
Women who crave chocolate around the time of their monthly might be doing so due to it being magnesium rich. Magnesium is nature’s natural tranquilizer, and so can help the body to relax and feel more at east.
As well as being a good source of magnesium, one ounce of dark chocolate also contains 2 grams of fibre, and a fair amount of iron, copper, and manganese – all of the vital trace elements that can be hard to obtain in our food due to being grown in seriously nutrient deficient and abused soil.
5. Natural High
Dark chocolate is rich in phenylethylamine, now this incredible chemical can help to boost endorphins which are the hormones that make you feel great and are similar to the feeling you get when you fall in love.
Also, the small dose of caffeine that dark chocolate contains can give your noggin a boost too, and this can help you feel more focused.
6. Look Better
The incredible antioxidants dark chocolate contains can help to reduce feelings of stress and as a result reduce the amount of stress hormones you produce.
Stress hormones can be detrimental to your health in many ways, with just one of them causing you to have more wrinkles. This is because stress hormones break down collagen in the skin, which is needed to keep skin healthy in good amounts.
The flavanols that are also present in dark chocolate may also make the skin healthier, due to improved blood flow to the skin, giving you that healthy plump look.
[mks_toggle title=”sources” state=”close “]- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/75913.php
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273374.php