The Indulgent Benefits of Dark Chocolate

There is great news for chocolate lovers: it has many benefits to help you live longer and healthier. Dark chocolate contains potent antioxidants to destroy free radicals that can cause heart disease and other problems. Here are the benefits:

Lower Blood Pressure. Dark chocolate contains plant phenols, which are compounds that help reduce blood pressure.

Lower Cholesterol. Research has shown that dark chocolate can reduce LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent. The powerful antioxidant, epicatechin, is very prevalent in dark chocolate. Studies have shown that people who eat dark chocolate have more antioxidants in their blood than milk chocolate eaters.

Promotes a feeling of pleasure. Dark chocolate stimulates endorphin production in the brain. Endorphins provide us with feelings of happiness and pleasure.

Acts as an Anti-Depressant. Dark chocolate contains serotonin, a neuro-transmitter in the brain that acts as a natural anti-depressant to promote feelings of happiness.


Prevents Tooth Decay.
Scientists determined that the theobromine found in chocolate prevents tooth decay by eliminating bacteria.

Reduces Cancer Risk. Studies have shown that chocolate inhibits cell division and reducing inflammation, which helps to reduce potential cancer growth.

Notes:
To gain benefits, do not eat chocolate with milk. Milk appears to hinder the absorption of the beneficial antioxidants.

These studies have proven that these benefits are only prevalent in dark chocolate. These potential benefits were hindered in those who consumed either milk or white chocolate.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=8326

Semi-sweet news for chocolate lovers

http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm

10 Health Benefits of Chocolate


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *