7 Proven
Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate :
Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively
affect your health. Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best
sources of antioxidants on the planet. Studies show that dark chocolate (not
the sugary crap) can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease.
1. DarkChocolate is Very Nutritious
If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content,
then it is actually quite nutritious. It contains a decent amount of soluble
fiber and is loaded with minerals.
A 100-gram bar of
dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains :
·
11 grams of fiber.
·
67% of the RDA for Iron.
·
58% of the RDA for Magnesium.
·
89% of the RDA for Copper.
·
98% of the RDA for Manganese.
·
It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus,
zinc, and selenium.
Of course, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a fairly large amount
and not something you should be consuming daily. All these nutrients also come
with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar.
For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in
moderation.
The fatty acid profile of cocoa and dark chocolate is
excellent. The fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small
amounts of polyunsaturates. It also contains stimulants like caffeine and
theobromine but is unlikely to keep you awake at night as the amount of
caffeine is very small compared to coffee.
2. Dark
Chocolate is a Powerful Source of Antioxidants
Have you ever heard
of a measure called ORAC?
ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It is a
measure of the antioxidant activity of foods. Basically, researchers pit a
bunch of free radicals (bad) against a sample of food and see how well the
antioxidants in the food can "disarm" them. The biological relevance
of this metric is questioned because it's done in a test tube and may not have
the same effect in the body. However, I think it is worth mentioning that raw,
unprocessed cocoa beans are among the highest scoring foods that have been
tested.
Dark chocolate is loaded with organic compounds that are
biologically active and function as antioxidants. These include polyphenols,
flavanols, catechins, among others. One study showed that cocoa and dark
chocolate contained more antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavanols than
other fruits they tested, which included blueberries and Acai berries.
3. Dark
Chocolate May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure
The flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the
endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce Nitric Oxide (NO), which is a gas
. One of the functions of NO is to send signals to the arteries to relax, which
lowers resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure. There are
many controlled trials showing that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood
flow and lower blood pressure, but the effects are usually mild (4, 5, 6, 7).
However, there is also one study in people with elevated
blood pressure that showed no effect, so take all this with a grain of salt
(8).3. Dark Chocolate May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure The
flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of
arteries, to produce Nitric Oxide (NO), which is a gas (3). One of the
functions of NO is to send signals to the arteries to relax, which lowers
resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure.
There are many controlled trials showing that cocoa and dark
chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, but the effects are
usually mild (4, 5, 6, 7). However, there is also one study in people with
elevated blood pressure that showed no effect, so take all this with a grain of
salt (8).
4. Dark
Chocolate Raises HDL and Protects LDL Against Oxidation
Consuming dark chocolate can improve several important risk
factors for heart disease. In a controlled trial, cocoa powder was found to
significantly decrease oxidized LDL cholesterol in men. It also increased HDL
and lowered total LDL in men with elevated cholesterol (9). Oxidized LDL means
that the LDL ("bad" cholesterol) has reacted with free radicals.
This makes the LDL particle itself reactive and capable of
damaging other tissues... such as the lining of the arteries in your heart.
It makes perfect sense that cocoa lowers oxidized LDL. It
contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants that do make it into the
bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative damage (10, 11, 12).
Dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk
factor for many diseases like heart disease and diabetes (13, 14).4. Dark
Chocolate Raises HDL and Protects LDL Against Oxidation. Consuming dark chocolate can improve several
important risk factors for heart disease.
In a controlled trial, cocoa powder was found to
significantly decrease oxidized LDL cholesterol in men.It also increased HDL and
lowered total LDL in men with elevated cholesterol (9). Oxidized LDL means that
the LDL ("bad" cholesterol) has reacted with free radicals. This
makes the LDL particle itself reactive and capable of damaging other tissues...
such as the lining of the arteries in your heart. It makes perfect sense that
cocoa lowers oxidized LDL. It contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants
that do make it into the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative
damage (10, 11, 12). Dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which
is another common risk factor for many diseases like heart disease and diabetes
(13, 14).
5. Dark
Chocolate May Lower The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly
protective against the oxidation of LDL. In the long term, this should cause
much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries and we should see a lower risk
of heart disease over the long term. It turns out that we have several
long-term observational studies that show a fairly drastic improvement.In a
study of 470 elderly men, cocoa was found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular
death by a whopping 50% over a 15 year period (15).
Another study revealed that eating chocolate 2 or more times
per week lowered the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%.
Eating chocolate less frequently had no effect (16). Yet another study showed
that chocolate 5+ times per week lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by
57% (17). Of course, these 3 studies are so-called observational studies that
can not prove that it was the chocolate that caused the reduction in risk.
However, given that we have a biological mechanism (lower blood pressure and
oxidized LDL) then I find it plausible that regular consumption of dark
chocolate can in fact reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Dark
Chocolate May Protect Your Skin Against The Sun
The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be great
for your skin. The flavonols can protect against sun-induced damage, improve
blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration (19). The
minimal erythemal dose (MED) is the minimum amount of UVB rays required to
cause redness in the skin, 24 hours after exposure.
In one study of 30 people, the MED more than doubled after
consuming dark chocolate high in flavanols for 12 weeks (20). If you're
planning on a beach vacation, consider loading up on dark chocolate in the
prior weeks and months.
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