Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Five 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.
BENEFITS:
1. Powerful Source of Antioxidants- Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants help to free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. It protects you from many types of cancer and slows the signs of aging. Dark chocolate is loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants.

2. Very Nutritious- If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is actually quite nutritious. It contains a number of minerals that can support your health.



  •   11 grams of fibre.
  •   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.
3. Good for Your Heart- Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which can also lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol (i.e., the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent. It also increases the blood flow and lowers the risk of heart diseases.

4. Protect Your Skin Against The Sun- Flavonoids in dark chocolate absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, and improve skin’s hydration and complexion.

5. Improve your mood- Dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that bring on feelings of pleasure. It also contains the chemical serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.

Be aware that a lot of the chocolate on the market is crap. You need to choose quality stuff… organic, dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content. Dark chocolates often contain some sugar, but the amounts are usually small and the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it will contain. Cocoa, the main ingredient of dark chocolate, has measurable amounts of caffeine. Pregnant women are advised against taking food and drinks that have caffeine as ingestion of the latter increases the risk of miscarriage. Caffeine, in large doses, also causes palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, among other symptoms.
For all of its health benefits, though, dark chocolate does contain a lot of calories. So, experts recommend sticking to no more than three ounces of the sweet stuff per day.

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