Chocolate is everyone's love! It is almost everyone's favorite thing to eat whether you are in your happy times or feeling blue. The excellent mixture of milk, sugar, and cocoa is good enough to soothe you in every mood. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids and packed with nutrients, which may provide several health benefits. Chocolate is made from tropical Theobroma cacao tree seeds. Which is a plant which contains a high level of minerals and antioxidants. Dark chocolate contains 50-90% cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar, whereas milk chocolate contains anywhere from 10-50% cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk in some form, and sugar. There are many varieties of chocolates available in the market. This variety of chocolate comes under the superfoods category. What's more interesting than you can eat your favorite chocolate and get many health benefits. Remember the darker the chocolate; the less sugar it will contain and gives you more benefits.
So want to know more about the benefits of your favorite superfood keep reading.
1. Lower blood pressure
Did you know that the right amount of nitric oxide in your body can help your arteries to relax? And eating dark chocolate raises the level of nitric oxide in your body. The flavanols, one of the antioxidants in dark chocolates, stimulates the endothelium, the lining of the arteries, to produce Nitric Oxide. And it is found that people who eat dark chocolate over a short period do see a drop in blood pressure level.
2. Help in weight loss
It seems like eating chocolate every day probably leads to weight gain. But what is your reaction if anyone can tell you that you can eat your favorite chocolate without gaining weight? I know you have become surprised after listening to this news. Yaa right. You can indeed eat your favorite chocolate without the feat of weight gain. Because research suggests dark chocolate may play a role in controlling appetite, which in turn could help with weight loss. Eating a bit of dark chocolate before or after meals triggers hormones that signal to the brain you’re full. This means your calorie intake will reduce and it will help in weight loss.
3. Boost mood
Eating chocolate stimulates neural activity in areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward, which in turn decreases stress and improves your mood. Dark chocolate contains compounds that stimulate endorphins, the same compound that is released after you laugh. So after that whenever you feel low or feeling blue just break off a square of good quality dark chocolate and enjoy.
4. Improve heart health
Antioxidants found in dark chocolate restores flexibility to the arteries and at the same time, prevents white blood cells from sticking to the walls of the blood vessels. When you eat dark chocolate, the gut bacteria in your stomach ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds that are good for the heart. Buy yourself a treat and show some love to yourself. Your heart will thank you.
5. Boost energy
Dark chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which will boost your energy levels. It is not good before bad because dark chocolate is one of the many foods that you might not contain caffeine. But this one can be a good choice to beat that afternoon slump. Buy your favorite one give yourself a treat.
There is no doubt that chocolate has a lot of health benefits. But this doesn't mean you should go all out and consume a lot of chocolate every day. It is still loaded with calories and overeating is not a good option. Maybe have a square or two after dinner and try to savor them. There are many brands available in the market. Just keep in mind to choose the quality stuff. Remember the darker the chocolate the more the benefits it gives you. Go buy one for yourself and enjoy.
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