There would be rarely anybody who wouldn't be fond of chocolate. for some, it is an indulgence for a sweet tooth, while for some it provides emotional comfort. chocolate is usually considered to be a villain but in reality, it is not. you just need to know which chocolate to have, at what time & most importantly how much.
There are three types of chocolates available in the market: Dark, Milk & white, & is categorized as per the percentage of cocoa powder and cocoa butter or fat present in it. The sweeter & the Creamier the chocolate, the higher is the fat content.
What makes chocolate healthy is its antioxidant content as well as its magnesium level. it is highest in the dark variant of chocolate.
Dark chocolate are Black chocolate containing cocoa solids, cocoa butter & Sugar but no milk solids. it has a bitter taste than a bar of milk chocolates due to a higher concentration of cocoa.
It contains organic compounds that are biologically active & function as antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent free radicals in the body & this can help you prevent Cancers.
Studies have shown that cocoa improve the blood flow in the body & thereby helps in controlling your blood pressure levels normal.
The polyphenols, flavonoids present in dark chocolate helps improve HDL(Good Cholesterol) & lower the LDL(Bad cholesterol)in the body. thereby, reduces the risk for cardiovascular diseases
Loaded with bioactive compounds, the flavanols present in dark chocolate improves blood flow & protect the skin against sun damage. so, dark chocolate can actually make your skin brighter & shinier.
The Capacity to improve blood flow & the Presence of stimulants like caffeine & theobromine dark chocolate helps improve brain function. cocoa helps in cognitive development & mental impairments.
Dark chocolate works wonderfully well in controlling menstrual cramps & premenstrual mood swings as it helps to boost dopamine the happy hormone, also magnesium helps in relaxing the cramps.
But it is important to understand that not all dark chocolate are to be considered healthy, there are a lot of brands in the market that are selling 50% dark chocolate, ideally anything below 70% should not be considered as a dark chocolate always choose the one where the cocoa content is more than 70%. also since chocolate is a commercial product one should know how to read the label & choose the one that has cocoa mass & not cocoa butter as the first ingredient.
Also, it is best to have it with your morning coffee or post workout. a small piece can be taken post meals to satisfy the sweet tooth, try not to have more than 3 pieces of chocolate in a day.
Since dark chocolate is high in caffeine, those who are pregnant, lactating, suffer from anxiety, bleeding disorder, irregular heartbeats, glaucoma Should avoid consuming dark chocolate.
