Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Imagine eating chocolate because it is healthy for you! Well, there is no need to imagine that as dark chocolate happens to truly be healthy for the body. Scientific studies have shown that unlike milk and white chocolate, dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and packed with nutrients, making the bittersweet treat a great source of things like lowering risk of heart disease! With so many other health benefits that most people are not completely aware of, I decided to put together reasons why eating dark chocolate is good for your body, as well as how they work.

Dark chocolate has many organic compounds that become active when in the body; they act as antioxidants like flavanols, polyphenols, and catechins – all of which are great for your health. Multiple studies, like the research article ‘Cacao seeds are a “Super Fruit”: A comparative analysis of various fruit powders and products’ written by Stephen J Crozier, Amy G Preston, Jeffrey W Hurst, Mark J Payne, Julie Mann, Larry Hainly, and Debra L Miller, point out in detail that cocoa has one of the highest levels of oxygen radical absorbance capacity, which measures antioxidant activity.

Specific antioxidants have different types of roles in the body, such as flavanols, which aids in a healthier blood flow by stimulating the lining of the arteries and producing nitric oxide that sends signals to make the arteries relax. The relaxed arteries then lower blood flow resistance, decreasing blood pressure naturally.

Heart disease is caused by the oxidation of cholesterol, as it then lodges in the arteries, however, compounds from dark chocolate helps to protect the body from this oxidation, thus reducing the risk of heart disease. Further to this, studies like ‘Chocolate Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies’ written by Sheng Yuan, Xia Li, Yalei Jin, and Jinping Lu, have shown that dark chocolate could reduce the risk of stroke, increase insulin resistance that determines the development of diabetes, and it helps to maintain artery health that leads to improvement of the cardiovascular health.

With such a variety of health benefits, it is no wonder dark chocolate is used as a super ingredient alternative to white and milk chocolate! Now that you are aware of the specific health benefits, you can start enjoying dark chocolate without feeling like you are indulging yourself too much in unhealthy foods!