Top 8 things you don’t know about dark chocolate
Do you know how you can have dark chocolate daily for health purposes? Doesn’t that sound great? Well, it is because dark chocolate has excellent health benefits that no one knows. Chocolate is full of antioxidants, and you can even have it for weight loss purposes as well. It is an excellent thing for digestion and absorbs all types of fats. Dark chocolate is the best source for skin and heart because it has 50-90% cocoa solids, sugar, and cocoa butter. Here in this blog, we will share some of the health-related benefits of dark chocolate that you hardly knew. Take a look
Help you in weight loss
Dark chocolate helps you in weight loss and is one of the best things to deal with digestion and absorption of fat-related issues. Don’t take dark chocolate more than a cube because 100 grams of the dark chocolate bar contains 600 calories. If you haven’t tried this out yet then give it a try.
Keep your skin healthy
You have hardly heard about any chocolate that keeps your skin healthy, but its true dark chocolate is good for the skin. It protects against sun damage and improves blood circulation. It has antioxidants which are very good because cocoa offers photoprotection and increases dermal blood circulation.
Best for brain functioning
Dark chocolate has flavonoids that improve brain functioning and keep it healthy. Dark chocolate intake enhances brain health. Regular intake of cocoa is very much useful for improving cognitive health. Dark chocolate has positive effects on the brain. It enhances mood signals and reduces emotional stress. It has a compound called epicatechin that minimizes brain damage stroke. All dark chocolates are not equally good. You all need to check the ingredients list for this.
Anti-inflammatory properties
Dark chocolate has phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory properties. Make sure you have checked the sugar content because sugar is an inflammatory ingredient. If you want to get the enormous benefits of chocolate, go for high cocoa content and low sugar levels.
Help in cancer prevention
Dark chocolate intake prevents cancer because it has cell proliferation and inflammation properties that reduce cell growth. A small amount of dark chocolate prevents colon cancer. Cocoa beans reduce cell damage. Dark chocolate has high concentrations of catechins that reduce oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. These ingredients reduce the risk factors of cancer.
Help in diabetes treatment
Dark chocolate consumption maintains a lower blood sugar level as per various researches. Cocoa polyphenols in dark chocolate have insulin properties that reduce diabetes risk. It stimulates insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar levels. Dark chocolate has anti-diabetic properties. There are so many reports that haven’t validated the research for diabetic patients. Dark chocolate reduces glucose levels in non-diabetic patients.
Suitable for the circulatory system
Dark chocolate has antioxidants that minimize the risk of oxidation and lowers bad cholesterol levels. It only promotes good cholesterol levels. Intake of dark chocolate decreases coronary heart disease, and it has more benefits than milk chocolate. Various researches have stated that dark chocolate promotes nitric oxide production and relaxes blood vessels and enhances blood flow. So it’s a good thing for coronary heart disease. Dark chocolate is made up of cocoa and reduces the oxidized level. It promotes good cholesterol only.
Improves hair health
Dark chocolate has a high amount of cocoa that contains compounds of anagen, which is an active growth phase of hair follicles. Dark chocolate has some nutrients that are beneficial for hair health that add to the hair shaft. It greatly impacts hair health because one ounce of dark chocolate contains 3 grams of fiber, 27% of manganese, and 25% copper. Apart from these, it has a high quantity of iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc.
Risks of having dark chocolate
Depression
Excess intake of dark chocolate increases anxiety issues, so make sure you people take it in moderation. Dark chocolate has caffeine in high quantities, so try to take it as per your dietitian’s recommendation. Drug addicts have huge depression issues, and they should avoid dark chocolate because of caffeine. They should consult with the doctors at their rehab center for proper guidance.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Dark chocolate is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding ladies if it is taken for a sufficient amount. As we all know, because of its caffeine content, don’t go into overconsumption. Always consume dark chocolate in moderation.
Heart health
Although dark chocolate is safe for heart health and has numerous benefits, caffeine can cause irregular heartbeat and various searches have shown a link between chocolate, caffeine, and heartbeat irregularity.
Other issues with caffeine
People who take dark chocolate in high amounts could have diarrhea, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, and osteoporosis, so before taking dark chocolate, these symptoms should be in your mind. Always consume in balance.
Dangerous for kidney stones
Dark chocolate contains a component found in various plants and animals known as oxalates that increase the risk of kidney stones. If you people have these issues, see how much dark chocolate intake is recommended to you by your doctor.
Cause migraines
Dark chocolate causes migraines and people who have severe migraine issues should avoid this or consume this as per diet recommendations. If they find cutting out dark chocolate is suitable for their health they should omit it.
What to look for in dark chocolate?
Every dark chocolate is not the same, and a few ingredients must be seen in every chocolate to benefit. Keep these things in mind while looking for a bar.
- LECITHIN
- MILK
- ALKALIS
These are the few health benefits and risks of dark chocolate mentioned here in this blog. Don’t forget to ask your doctors for their recommendations. If you take it in moderation, then nothing would harm, but overconsumption would disrupt your health. Do let us know how you find this info?
