With all the negative attention chocolate has received in recent times, it might come as a massive shock to learn that dark chocolate actually has a number of benefits for health that are typically associated with more “healthy” foods like green vegetables and fruits. If you’re looking to eat healthy but still have a sweet tooth, read on see how eating dark chocolate might be healthy for you, in moderate amounts.
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Raises Good Cholesterol Levels
Despite the fact that chocolate has acquired a very bad rep for raising cholesterol levels which is factual to a large extent, dark chocolate actually has the reverse effect when consumed in moderate amounts. This is because dark chocolate has a high content of HDL (the so called good cholesterol) which has the effect of lowering the level of LDL (the so called bad cholesterol) in the human body. So can snack on some dark chocolate every now and then, without worrying too much about your cholesterol levels.
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Large Amounts of Anti-oxidants
Anti-oxidants are chemicals found in food that help to combat and neutralize free radicals in the human body. Free radicals are molecules which have had their structure altered due to oxidation, and roam through the body creating the same effect on other cells. Eventually, this process could lead to a number of diseases such as cancer. Fortunately, for lovers of chocolate, dark chocolate contains large amounts of powerful anti-oxidants.
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Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
As people age, the risk of cardio-vascular disease increases significantly and foods such as chocolate are believed to enhance this risk. Most kinds of chocolate will, indeed, leave you at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases but dark chocolate on the other hand, will actually reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Improved Brain Function
Can eating chocolate of all things, actually improve your brain function and make you smarter? As surprising as this may sound, the evidence points to the fact that chocolate which is rich in flavonoid, such as dark chocolate, help to stimulate an increased blood flow to the brain, thereby improving its functioning.
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Healthier Skin
Dark chocolate is healthy for skin in a number if ways. Firstly, it helps to improve blood flow to the skin which results in higher skin density but dark chocolate also contains flavonols which help to protect the skin against the harmful effects of exposure to the sun.
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Lowers Blood Pressure
In addition to all the great health benefits listed here, there are some studies that have shown that dark chocolate does have the power to lower blood pressure which is good news for chocolate lovers who might have issues with high blood pressure.
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Energy Boost
The energy boosting effects of chocolate are well known but many people avoid using chocolate for this purpose because of its notorious attendant health risks. But since dark chocolate eliminates many of those concerns, you’re free to snack of a bar or two or dark chocolate before and during your workout sessions to provide the extra energy that you might need.
Conclusion
These five benefits of dark chocolate prove that delicious snacks that simply delight your tastebuds, are not always bad for your health. The key to enjoying dark chocolate in a healthy way is remembering to eat it in moderation. A bar a day, five times a week is enough to enable you enjoy these benefits without having to worry too much about factors such as weight gain, especially if you’re getting enough exercise.
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