In addition to being a delicious and particularly loved food , dark chocolate is rich in nutrients that can positively affect health .
These are the main benefits associated with its constant consumption.
It has a high nourishing power
On the market you can find many types of dark chocolate. At the time of purchase, the choice should fall on those with the highest percentage of cocoa because they are the most nutritious .
Specifically, a 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70–85% cocoa contains :
- 11 grams of fiber ;
- 67% of the daily iron requirement ;
- 58% of the daily requirement of magnesium ;
- 89% of the daily requirement of copper ;
- 98% of the daily requirement of manganese .
Additionally, dark chocolate is also high in potassium , phosphorus , zinc , and selenium .
On the other hand, however, 100 grams of chocolate is a rather large quantity which, if ingested in a single moment, also involves the assimilation of 600 calories . So it’s best not to overdo it.
The fatty acid profile of cocoa and dark chocolate is also good. In fact, fats are mainly made up of oleic acid , stearic acid and palmitic acid.
The former is a heart -healthy fat also found in olive oil , the latter has a neutral effect on body cholesterol , while the third, while it may raise cholesterol levels , makes up only one-third of total calories in foods. fat.
Dark chocolate also contains stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine but not in quantities that would pose a health concern.
It is a great source of antioxidants
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidant organic compounds such as polyphenols , flavanols , catechins and others. These elements are present in higher concentrations than any other fruit, including blueberries and acai berries .
It can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure
The flavanols present in dark chocolate can in turn stimulate the endothelium , or the lining of the arteries , to produce nitric oxide which has among its primary functions that of sending signals of relaxation to the arteries. This reduces resistance to blood flow and therefore blood pressure .
Increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol
Consumption of dark chocolate may improve several risk factors for heart disease .
In a controlled study, cocoa powder was found to significantly reduce bad oxidized LDL cholesterol .
Furthermore, in people with already high cholesterol it would increase the good one and lower the total bad one.
The flavanols that dark chocolate is rich in may also reduce insulin resistance , which is another common risk factor for heart disease and diabetes .
However, in this case exceeding consumption is not indicated because dark chocolate also contains sugar , which can generate the opposite effect.
It can reduce the risk of heart disease
The compounds in dark chocolate are highly protective against the oxidation of bad cholesterol and this should cause much less cholesterol to settle in the arteries in the long run, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease.
This is also confirmed by a study carried out on 470 elderly men in which cocoa was found to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 50% in 15 years.
Another study revealed that eating chocolate two or more times a week reduces the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%, and another that eating dark chocolate more than five times a week reduces the risk of heart disease by 57%.
Finally, a 2017 clinical study found that subjects who consumed almonds with or without dark chocolate improved their bad cholesterol levels.
These results are to be read in non-absolute terms, since these are observational studies it is not clear whether it was the chocolate that determined the positive events described.
However, since the biological process of lowering blood pressure and oxidized cholesterol is known, it is plausible that regularly eating dark chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease.
It can protect your skin from the sun
The bioactive compounds found in dark chocolate may also be good for your skin .
In fact, flavanols protect against sun damage , improve blood flow to the skin and increase its density and hydration.
A study of 30 people also showed that MED, the minimum amount of UVB rays needed to cause skin redness 24 hours after exposure, doubled after consuming dark chocolate for three months.
It could improve brain function
Finally, dark chocolate can also be good for brain function . In particular, according to a study, eating cocoa with a high content of flavanols for at least 5 consecutive days improves blood flow to the brain.
Cacao can also significantly improve cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, verbal fluency, and several risk factors for the disease.
