BENEFITS OF DARK CHOCOLATE

By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR

Dark chocolates are made from the seeds of cocoa tree which is one of the best antioxidants in the word. As per studies, dark chocolates are beneficial for your heart and overall health. Chocolate and happiness have been coupled together as a “love food”. Benefits of dark chocolate are as follows:

It helps crub craving:

Food craving is typically defined as frequent, intense desire to consume a particular type of food, which leads to weight gain by 11 percent says studies.

Dark chocolate contains more than 70% cocoa.

 

Smelling and eating the dark chocolate can reduce the ghrelin levels (a hormone which stimulates the appetite and sends signals to your brain when you are hungry.) in your body which thus can suppress your cravings and ultimately help you lose weight. Consuming dark chocolate on a regular basis can increase your satiety levels and help you control your cravings.

Even though chocolate is loaded with calories and therefore condemned by most health experts, scientists have discovered that dark chocolate (one which contains over 70 percent cocoa) aids in weight loss rather than fat synthesis.

It helps improve metabolism:

A slower metabolism can affect your weight loss goals. But consuming dark chocolate can help. Eating dark chocolate can speed up your sluggish metabolism as it is loaded with MUFAs or monounsaturated fatty acids which help burn calories at a faster pace. And the end result will be that you will lose weight.

It helps fight Oxidation:

Dark chocolates are considered as one of the best antioxidants in the word. As per studies, dark chocolates are beneficial for your heart and overall health and it helps to protect you from free radicals and oxidative damage.

It helps to improve brain health:

Other antioxidants in chocolate include a group of chemicals known as flavonols. Eating foods with abundant flavonols may help you keep your memory intact as you age. These findings suggest that chocolate may also improve the brain power of healthy adults. 

It helps to fight Diabetes:

The way your body absorbs sugar also has an impact on your weight. If the sugar from the food you eat digests quickly, it will get transported to fat cells. However, consuming dark chocolate is a great way of preventing insulin levels to spike suddenly. Eating dark chocolates ensures that the sugar gets slowly absorbed in the bloodstream without increasing the blood sugar levels.

Chocolate happiness

Happiness is a state of mind but it can help you lose weight and eating dark chocolate can improve your happiness levels. When you are in a happy state, your blood pressure levels and blood sugar levels will be in control, which may help lower stress and help you lose weight. And when you will be happy, you will be less prone to eating more or making unhealthy food choices. Science has since found an actual chemical connection between chocolate and happiness.

 Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that’s also released in the brain during moments of emotional euphoria. It also contains anandamide, a fatty acid neurotransmitter that makes you feel more relaxed and less anxious.

 

“Chocolate is happiness that you can eat.”

Choose your daily dosage wisely:

The darker the chocolate, the better. The reason dark chocolate gets all the accolades is that it contains lower added sugar and fats than milk or white chocolate. In addition, it’s higher in beneficial flavonoids.

Those with the highest proportion of cacao are better, even when it comes to powder for hot cocoa.

Choose a bar with a minimum 70% cacao, and just remember — even the darkest of the dark chocolates must be consumed in moderation.

The recommended “dose” is approximately 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g, experts say. Indulge in anything more than that, and you may be consuming too many calories.