by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group
Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”
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9 Way 90 Days: Why Dark Chocolate is Good for You
Why Dark Chocolate is Good for You
1. Good for Your Heart
- Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure.
- Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots.
- Eating dark chocolate may prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
2. Good for Your Brain
- Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps reduce risk of stroke.
- Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which encourages your brain to release endorphins, as a result eating dark chocolate may make you feel happier.
- Dark chocolate contains caffeine, a mild stimulant. However, dark chocolate contains much less caffeine than coffee. A 1.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate contains 27 mg of caffeine, compared to the 200 mg found in an eight ounce cup of coffee.
3. Helps Control Blood Sugar
- Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes.
- Flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body’s insulin efficiently.
- Dark chocolate also has a low glycemic index and glycemic load, meaning it won’t cause huge spikes in blood sugar levels.
4. Full of Antioxidants
- Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.
5. Contains Theobromine
- Theobromine, which has been shown to harden tooth enamel.
- That means that dark chocolate, unlike most other sweets, lowers your risk of getting cavities if you practice proper dental hygiene.
6. Dark Chocolate is High in Vitamins and Minerals
- The copper and potassium in dark chocolate help prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments.
- Iron in chocolate protects against iron deficiency anemia
- Magnesium in chocolate helps prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
ACTION: Eat some good organic dark chocolate with 72% cocao. If dark chocolate is new to you, try it with 55%.