10 Delightful Healthy Reasons to Eat Dark Chocolate.
There are 10 delightful healthy reasons to eat dark chocolate and stay healthy.
Author: Adonia Dennis
Chocolate; a snack loved and hated in equal measure. Loved because it is sinfully sweet and hated because it’s an expensive addiction. The sweet taste will make you want more and more but they don’t come free. You have to part with a little fortune. Also, some people will claim that its makes one add weight. While this is true, you can reduce this effect by including moderation in the equation. This way, you get the benefits of chocolate and at the same time keep your weight in check. Speaking of benefits, did you know how beneficial chocolate is?
Well as it turns out, by eating a piece of dark chocolate (to be precise), you accord your body immense benefits. Dark chocolate is considered as a healthy choice and it is recommended that you should take at least two ounces of it in a week. Some of the reasons why should not feel so guilty the next time you pop in some chocolate in your mouth are:
1. It Helps Prevent Memory Loss
Flavanols that are found in dark chocolate have been shown to help prevent age related memory loss. Epicatechin in particular is the flavanol that boosts the functioning of the part of brain responsible for this. It also helps in treating brain injuries. However, ensure you don’t indulge in too much chocolate. Look for the darkest chocolate, as the darker it is, the better.
2. Lowers The Risk Of Cardiovascular Diseases
It does this by reducing the levels of cholesterol in the body. By eating chocolate, you reduce bad cholesterol (responsible for cardiovascular diseases) and at the same time raise the levels of good cholesterol.
3. Protects The Skin
Damages that are caused by the sun’s UV rays can be prevented by just eating chocolate. It will help you remove dark circles under the eyes. In other unrelated news, applying sunscreen offers a higher guaranteed protection.
4. It’s Great For The Heart
The same way loving is good for the heart, so is dark chocolate. That might be the reason why apart from red roses, girls love chocolate as gifts. Anyway, as it turns out dark chocolate prevents artery clogging by ensuring white blood cells do not stick to the walls of blood vessels and as a result improving blood flow.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure
By improving blood flow in the body, blood pressure is regulated. We all know how dangerous blood pressure is especially during pregnancy. Just take few amounts of dark chocolate per day to keep your blood pressure in check.
6. Suppresses Coughs
Those times when you can’t sleep because a cough is taking its toll on you, just take some chocolate. An ingredient in it called theobromine has been shown to suppress coughs. In addition, dark chocolate helps you stay alert as it contains some caffeine. Take care on how much you eat if you find it difficult to fall asleep.
7. Relieves Stress
A piece of dark chocolate will keep stress at bay especially during that time of the month (ladies). A recent study found that people who ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day in a span of two weeks, who were earlier stressed, stopped being stressed afterwards.
8. Fights Fatigue
Dark chocolate keeps you energized throughout the day. This way, you are able to perform better in all the activities that you undertake. You are also able to perform your regular exercises with more ease without getting tired too often.
9. A hub of Minerals
Essential minerals such as zinc, potassium and selenium are found in abundance in dark chocolate. Such minerals are important for the normal functioning of the body. It is also a great source of iron.
10. Great for pregnant mothers and their babies
By reducing stress in expectant mothers, the babies born were shown to be healthier according to a Finnish Study. Also, these babies were shown to smile more often than their counterparts i.e. babies born to mothers who didn’t eat chocolate when pregnant.
Conclusion
Evidently, you have so many reasons as to why you should indulge in this treat more often. As mentioned earlier, moderation is crucial, so is getting the darkest chocolate. With these two factors in mind you can be able to get the best out of it. You will be surprised you can reduce weight by eating dark chocolate. Take a small piece before a meal which cheats the body that you are full. This way, you eat less.
References
1) http://diet234.com/nutritional-benefits-of-dark-chocolate/
3) http://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/
Author Bio
Adonia Dennis (@adoniadennis), by profession a Health, Beauty and Skin Care adviser. She provides solutions related to health and beauty problems. She is an independent researcher who researches for all type of skin related issues. She is a passionate blogger who loves to read latest lifestyle news and share her views on health, fitness and diet. Visit Adonia on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.
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