What's So Chocolatey About Chocolate?
Dark chocolate has got lots of health benefits.
- cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants, way more than most other food
- the bioactive compounds in cocoa can improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure.
- dark chocolate improves several important risk factors for disease. It lowers the susceptibility of ldl to oxidative damage while increasing hdl and improving insulin sensitivity.
- studies show that the flavanols from cocoa can improve blood flow to the skin and protect it against sun-induced damage.
But of course, this doesn’t mean you should go all out and consume lots of chocolate every day. It is still loaded with calories and easy to overeat on. Maybe have a square after dinner and try to really savor them.
Be aware that a lot of the chocolate on the market is crap. You need to choose quality stuff… organic, dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content.- shreni's diet clinic.