Dark chocolate is the love of many and is a kind of immense pleasure. Dark chocolate with the above 60 percent cacao content is now treated as a superfood. Isn’t this great news for all chocolate lovers? Besides serving the cravings and sweet tooth, dark chocolate is full of benefits. What else do we need when we can eat chocolates that too, keeping the body healthy and free from various diseases.
Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants, and a limited amount of sugar. Do you also want to know about the benefits of dark chocolate so that from the next time when you eat it, either of regretting and thinking of putting on the extra kilos and cavities, you can think of these ample benefits? If yes! Then keep reading….
PROVEN BENEFITS OF DARK CHOCOLATE
Benefits of Dark Chocolate in preventing depression
Depression is something that is not easy to handle. Still, with dark chocolate, it can be easy to handle. As dark chocolate contains a compound called theobromine that is structurally so much similar to caffeine. When this component, i.e., theobromine, is consumed in a large amount, it causes a dip in the blood pressure levels, excitability and gives energy. This energy can be followed by a crash, and hence some critics tout chocolate as a dangerously addictive substance. Moreover, there is another component that is found in dark chocolate, i.e., anandamide. This component provides energy and boosts the mood without any addiction and cardiovascular damage.
Dark chocolate doesn’t stop here. It contains another component, too, i.e., phenethylamine that gets metabolized to serotonin in the body. And serotonin is one of the most important mood-regulating components in the body and helps in keeping a person happy.
Dark Chocolate can aid against diabetes
Dark Chocolate can bolster endothelial function and insulin resistance. For the maintenance of arterial health, the endothelium is extremely important. So is insulin resistance to determine whether diseases like diabetes will develop in the future. And the flavonoids present in cocoa help a lot in regulating this all. So, if you are hoping to prevent diabetes, then dark chocolate can be the option to serve your sweet tooth as it is low in sugar.
Dark chocolate can improve LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol
There is a health issue resulting from the oxidation of low-quality lipids and is a degenerative condition of the arteries. And dark chocolate can prevent the oxidation of lipids. Moreover, dark chocolate can increase the amount of HDL cholesterol in the body. And when it comes to antioxidants, dark chocolate has no shortage of them and is easily absorbed in the blood. Hence, it can easily battle the free radicals before they cause any damage.
Dark Chocolate can help reduce the cough
The presence of theobromine in the dark chocolate helps in distressing the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the part of the brain. The activation of the vagus nerve can trigger coughing. Even scientists are looking for medications for cough and cold with theobromine. Moreover, as per the studies, the dark chocolate effect as a cough suppressant was more effective than the common cold medicines.
Also Read, Glutamine: Miraculous Benefits and Dangerous Hazards…
Dark Chocolate can help in pregnancy
Pregnancy is a crucial period of every woman’s life. Still, the benefits of dark chocolate are just like a blessing for this stage. Dark chocolate helps in the improvement of fetal growth. Moreover, some other complications are faced by pregnant women, such as preeclampsia, when the blood supply to the fetus is restricted or high blood pressure. All these complications can be prevented by the consumption of dark chocolate. The presence of flavonoids and other components in dark chocolate helps combat all these issues and keep the pregnancy stage safe.
Dark Chocolate can help improvise the brain’s functioning
Chocolate shows great results in cognitive development. The consumption of a high amount of dark chocolate helps improve cognitive processing and visual-spatial awareness, scanning, improved Global Composite scores working memory, and abstract reasoning. The study on this was ongoing for 40 years. The study has concluded that a person will not become smart or something by eating chocolate, but chocolate consumption increases intelligence levels.
Dark Chocolate helps in lowering the levels of blood pressure
Nobody can get the tastier way to keep blood pressure levels normal than the consumption of dark chocolates. As per the recent studies at Harvard, it has been found that 50 to 70 percent of cocoa lowers the level of blood pressure. And the benefits of dark chocolate can be seen to a great extent on people already suffering from hypertension. The study concludes that the flavonoids in dark chocolate work best when blood pressure level is high.
