Good news for the chocoholics out there: Your addiction could be a good thing. Multiple studies have found that eating dark chocolate daily could actually keep you healthy. Dark chocolate has been called a super-food, packing some powerful antioxidants in its key ingredient, cacao. These free-radical fighting properties have been shown to improve brain function, reduce blood pressure and even reduce the risk of heart attacks. So you can give into your temptation with less guilt by eating Healthy Chocolate.
Dark chocolate was touted as an “instant energy bullet” in a recent Men’s Health Magazine article titled “What to Eat When you Work Out.” According to the article, the bioactive compounds tyramine and phenylethylamine found in chocolate can provide an instant energy boost.
There could be a science behind our cravings. When women crave chocolate during hormonal changes or when they feel stressed out, your body may be trying to tell you to boost your serotonin levels. People with high anxiety participated in a study released last year. After eating just an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, they experienced a reduced level of stress hormones.
When a dark chocolate has at least 75 percent cacao content, you can get the most endorphins in every delicious bite. Chocolate stimulates endorphin production and contains serotonin, so you actually do feel better after eating it. Dark chocolate contains caffeine and other stimulants, so you’re alert as well. So you can eat more chocolate with less guilt!
Darker chocolate is better than milk chocolate or white, because processing will strip chocolate of some of these health benefits. The key healthy ingredient found in dark chocolate is the high content of cacao and antioxidants called flavonoids, believed to improve the flexibility of blood vessels. This can make blood vessels more resistant to plaque buildup and provide other cardiovascular benefits These flavanols (antioxidants) found in chocolate are similar to the antioxidants found in green teas, berries and red wine.
The high amount flavanoids (antioxidants) that are found in dark chocolate are believed to improve the flexibility of blood vessels. These flavanols, similar to the antioxidants found in berries and green teas, can make blood vessels more resistant to plaque buildup and provide other cardiovascular benefits. As with most foods, it is good to exercise restraint. This is true for chocolate, since this dark and tasty treat has high calories and can increase fat if eaten in excess.
However, if you are able to keep your chocolate intake in balance with other healthy foods, you can indulge every day as part of a healthy lifestyle. And if you think about the cancer and disease-fighting properties each delicious piece of chocolate contains, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and treat yourself after that apple. What’s more, you could see a change for the better in your blood pressure and overall heart health.
The next occasion the need strikes to get a great tasting snack, why not Buy Healthy Chocolate? Chocolates from The Healthy Chocolate Shop are rich and flavorful and provide several health benefits. Visit the Healthy Chocolate Shop today for more information!