If consumed in a fair amount chocolates can be beneficial especially, dark variety. Chocolate includes several healthy composites like- antioxidants known as ‘flavanols’. It is very rich in fiber, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. It is made from the cocoa tree’s seed and it is one of the most excellent foundations of antioxidants on the earth. For getting advantages from dark chocolate, you will need to choose chocolate that holds no less than 65 percent cocoa.
Cocoa is very nutritious consisting of cocoa flavanols, lessens threat of lung cancer, asthma, heart disease, prostate cancer, and more. All you need to keep on your mind while consuming chocolate is just taking up fair amount as it has high amount of fat and calories which might develop problems like overweight.
1. Reduces Heart Disease
Eating fair amount of dark chocolate may help out lessening the risks of heart disease. The potassium and copper present in it prevents stroke as well as cardiovascular illness. Flavonoids present in dark chocolate also protect cells from destructive molecules which are known as free radicals. These free radicals can result in cell damage that ultimately leads to heart disease.
2. Lessens high Blood pressure and Cholesterol
Dark Chocolate consumption reduces blood pressure as well as maintains cholesterol levels. Flavonoids can also reduce LDL cholesterol which is harmful cholesterol present in our body. Expansion of the blood vessels because of the flavanoids present in dark chocolate is the reason for maintaining blood pressure as per the article published in “British Medical Journal” in 2012.
3. Minimizes Risks of Diabetes
Dark Chocolate also minimizes the risks for diabetes by lessening levels of insulin, according to the article included in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Similarly, associate professor of nutritional sciences at San Diego University, Mee Young Hong, PhD, discovered that the antioxidants present in the dark chocolate helps the body to make a use of its insulin more capably, which helps in reducing the level of sugar naturally.
4. Maintains Blood Platelets and Blood Flow
Dark Chocolate maintains blood platelets and does not let it clump together. Few of the procyanidins present in cocoa aids in the making of nitric oxide that keeps arteries flexible and boosts blood flow. Similarly, the iron contained in chocolate shields human body against Iron-deficiency anemia.
5. Maintain Mental Health
Dark Chocolate also contains number of chemical mixtures that have an optimistic outcome on your temper and cognitive fitness. It improves the role/function of the brain as it is full of high-flavanol cocoa which improves the flow of blood to the brain. It also improves cognitive function in elder people who suffer from mental diseases.
6. Beneficial to Eat during Pregnancy
Consuming one chunk of dark chocolate per week in the first trimester during pregnancy reduces levels of hypertension as well as pre-eclampsia (a problem caused by high blood pressure during pregnancy). Since quality dark chocolate is full of high cocoa, which is in fact, nourishing and contains high amount of fiber and is full of minerals which are essential especially during pregnancy. Besides, dark chocolate contains potassium, copper, and iron that can maintain healthy body of a pregnant woman.
7. Consists of Antioxidants
Dark chocolate is full of organic compounds that functions as antioxidants. These antioxidants can be useful in our body to repair and prevent damaged body tissues. Dr. Mauro Serafini, at Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome shared that antioxidants gulp up destructive molecules, free radicals caught up in heart disease and other disease if it is taken in fair amount.