Advantages of Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is one of the latest foods to be classified in the super food category. When the medical community talks about dark chocolate being good for you there are some qualifications that go along with that statement. Apparently, you need to eat the chocolate that contains 70% cocoa solids to really get the health benefits, plus the dark chocolate should be a solid bar and not be filled with anything. Such candies as dark chocolate truffles contain a high sugar content and wipe out the nutrition advantages.

An antioxidant called flavonoids is what makes dark chocolate so helpful to your body. Antioxidants help your systems stay healthy by reducing the number of free radicals moving around in your body. Normally, the body can deal free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if an abundance of free-radical are produced due to such things as stress or excesssive sun exposure cell damage occurs. Dark chocolate has an unusually high level of antioxidants.

A Swiss study involving cardiac patients aged 45 to 70 over a two year period, monitored chocolate consumption over ten years. Researchers said that data indicated patients consuming a few ounces of chocolate twice a week or more were 66 percent less likely to die from cardiac disease than non-eaters. Once a week cut risk by almost half, even once a month or less – cut the risk by 27 percent.

Dark chocolate can also help keep your brain young. Several studies have shown those who consumed chocolate had significantly better mean test scores than those who did not eat dark chocolate. Again, because the flavonoids keep the blood vessels flexible and open more blood can flow to the brain.

There are more benefits to dark chocolate besides the antioxidants. Dark chocolate actually contains endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for that great feeling people who exercise are always talking about. You can get endorphins in other ways besides exercising and eat dark chocolate is one way. Serotonin which is also found in dark chocolate is a natural anti-depressant.

Even dark chocolate’s fat content has something to offer in terms of health benefits. Though the fat content is high not all of the fat is saturated. Some of it is actually monounsaturated and some of it is stearic acid which does not cause you to produce bad cholesterol.

The only problem is if you eat too much chocolate. Unfortunately, it is not like celery which makes your burn calories because your body has to work so hard to digest it. You really don’t need more than a few ounces a day of dark chocolate to get all those wonderful benefits. Dark chocolate comes in a variety of percentages of cocoa content. Studies say you should try to eat the 70% or higher chocolate – though you might find the higher percentages to bitter for your taste.

You would be surprised by how making small changes in your diet can improve your health. Visit us at Curepure.com and find out more about healthy meals and healthy heart Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.