You shouldn’t feel guilty eating dark chocolate everyday..
I so love that I can tell you, YOU should not feel guilty eating dark chocolate daily. I myself will eat dark chocolate every single day and I can confirm, it makes me feel pretty damn good! It truly is a food of the gods!
There are many reasons why you shouldn't feel guilty about eating chocolate every day and here are seven of them:
Nutritious: Quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, and a few other minerals.
Powerful source of Anti-oxidants: Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants. In fact, they have way more than most other foods. Amongst the antioxidants are polyphenols, flavanols and catechins.
May improve blood flow and improve blood pressure: The bioactive compounds in cocoa may improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure. For instance, flavanoids in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce nitric oxide, which results in signals sent to the arteries to relax, which lowers the resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure.
Raises HDL and protects LDL from oxidation: Dark chocolate improves several important risk factors for disease. It lowers oxidation-prone LDL and improves insulin sensitivity. In a small study, eating dark chocolate supplemented with the flavanol lycopene was found to significantly decrease levels of total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides. The flavanols in dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
May reduce Heart disease risk: Research shows a reduction in heart disease risk among those who consume a moderate amount of chocolate. The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly protective against the oxidation of LDL. In the long term, this should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease.
May protect your skin from the sun: Studies show that the flavanols from cocoa can improve blood flow to the skin and protect it from sun damage. The flavanols can protect against sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin, and increase skin density and hydration. Studies have shown that MED can increase and even double after consuming high-flavanol dark chocolate or cocoa for 12 weeks (16). The result is that your skin has better protection from the sun. *chocolate should not be replace sunscreen.
But the good news doesn’t stop here:
Could improve brain function: Cocoa or dark chocolate may improve brain function by increasing blood flow. It also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine. Studies show that eating high flavanol cocoa can improve blood flow to the brain in young adults. This may explain why eating cocoa daily appears to improve attention, verbal learning, and memory.
I’m so glad I eat quality dark chocolate every single day!
There is so much evidence around how cocoa can provide powerful and wonderful health benefits and also being protective against heart disease.
This doesn’t mean let’s go crazy and eat a tonne of dark chocolate in one sitting, but what it does mean, always make sure you choose a quality dark chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa and above.
There is a lot of poor quality chocolate out there, that is not so nutritious, commonly found at the supermarket. It’s important you invest in premium quality chocolate which will totally give you joy and giving you the health benefits at the same time.
So let’s enjoy and indulge guilt free in the exotic, delicious and nutritious food we call chocolate!
Vicki xo
Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate
