These are some of the amazing health benefits of dark chocolate. Not only does it taste amazing but it can be beneficial to your health. Choosing the right dark chocolate is also very important as not all shop bought is nutritious. Try and get chocolate which is 70% or higher cocoa content.
High in Antioxidants
Cocoa contains a wide range of strong antioxidants called flavonoids which protect your cells from free radicals. These antioxidants also prevent oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause damage to cells and tissues in the body. The consequences of oxidative stress may lead to the development of a number of illnesses over time.
Nutritious
Eating a high quality and high cocoa content is found to be very nutritious. It contains a good amount of fibre and minerals including iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. Cocoa and dark chocolate have an excellent fatty acid profile. The fats are primarily oleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid (a heart-healthy fat also present in olive oil).
Could Improve Blood Flow
Flavanols found in dark chocolate help stimulate the endothelium (lining of arteries) which produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is needed to help relax your arteries and make your blood flow better which then can reduce your blood pressure.
Sun Protection
Dark chocolate’s bioactive ingredients may also be beneficial to your skin. Cocoa flavanols have been shown in studies to enhance blood flow to the skin and protect it from sun damage.
There is a lot of evidence that cocoa has a lot of health advantages. These have just been some health benefits of dark chocolate. This of course doesn’t mean to overindulge as it still contains a lot of calories.
Here is some 70% and 90% high-quality dark chocolate.
Stay healthy
Sally
