Posted on: November 25, 2022
Besides being delicious, we have all heard that consuming chocolate has benefits for our health. But if we try to remember what those benefits are then I believe we will all get stuck. First, let’s point out that these benefits come from dark chocolate, not white chocolate. Usually, the easiest way to tell if your chocolate is “dark” or not is to choose one with a cocoa content of 70% or more.
Cocoa promotes blood circulation in the thin capillaries in the uppermost layer of the skin, vessels that serve to transport oxygen and nutrients to this area of the skin important to protect against dehydration and burns. Eating antioxidant-rich chocolate allows for skin that is softer, more hydrated, and more resistant to sun damage. However, it is suggested to use an SPF (sun protection) cream every day of the year!
Stressed out? Anxiety? Feeling exhausted? Get chocolate! Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), one of the chemicals your brain produces when you fall in love. PEA stimulates your brain to release endorphins so you will feel better.
A 2013 study concluded that those people who ate dark chocolate more often had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who consumed it less often. And another 2013 study specifically of women who had excess body fat found that women who consumed dark chocolate for seven days had an easier time reducing their waist circumference. (mechanism of action still unclear)
Dark chocolate is rich in minerals such as Potassium (Potassium), Zinc, and Selenium, and 100 g of chocolate contains 67% of the daily need for iron.
Studies have shown that dark chocolate helps in the elasticity of arteries and prevents white blood cells from “sticking” to the walls of blood vessels – both of which help prevent thrombosis.
A little chocolate never hurt anyone, just be careful to respect the measure as too much of nothing is good.
