Yes you read it right. Chocolate now a days has gained a pretty much negative reputation when it comes to health and beauty as it is assumed that it spoils your health, causes spots to appear on skin, is an active factor of obesity and skin fat along with causing diabetes and a couple of other problems. For all of you who simply love chocolate it cannot have it due to all the factors mentioned above, here is a good news, there are so many health benefits of dark chocolate as well so no need to spend your life without this incredibly delicious treat.
A very important content of pure chocolate or we can say dark chocolate is cocoa which is obtained from the cocoa plant seed, the plant is called as Theobroma cacao. The more cocoa content a chocolate contains, the more beneficial it will be due to the presence of phenolic compounds in the cocoa which are active antioxidants and have various health benefits. However the one important thing you must know is that the sugar filled chocolate bars present in every corner shop and malls are not what we are talking about. These sugary and too much sweet chocolates contains a lot of sugar content along with many other ingredients and flavours which are not at all beneficial for health in fact cause drastic side effects among which are diabetes and obesity.
What we are talking about is the pure, bitter dark chocolate which contains almost 70% or more cocoa content and very very less sugars. This dark chocolate is observed to be good for the following reasons:
- May lower cholesterol levels:
- Dark chocolate is believed to lower cholesterol level due to the ingredients present in it. Many studies prove that the cocoa content in dark chocolate is actually beneficial for health and in lowering the level of cholesterol.
- May prevent memory decline:
- Memory is believed to be strong and maintained due to the consumption of cocoa as the cocoa contains stimulants like caffeine and the bromine which enhance the memory and brain function by improving the blood flow to the brain.
- May reduce the risk of heart diseases:
- Cocoa also reduces the risk of heart diseases by many levels because it increases the blood flow which in turn prevents the blockage and stroke, making it easier for heart to pump blood and also avoid other heart diseases.
- Contains many nutrition:
- Dark chocolate does not only contain benefits for the heart, it also has various nutritional benefits which include:
- A bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains:
- Fiber.
- Iron.
- Magnesium.
- Copper.
- Manganese.
- It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.
- Powerful source of antioxidants:
- This sinfully delicious desert of the nature is also a very good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants include flavanols, polyphenols, catechins etc. and these are tested to be present in the dark chocolate.
- Improves blood flow and Lowers Blood pressure:
- Like mentioned above, dark chocolate increases the blood flow and therefore is good for heart and blood health. By improving the blood flow it decreases the risk of clotting and therefore lowers the blood pressure.
- Good as a skin cleanser:
- Cocoa is not only good when taken in but also benefits the skin when applied on it. Take melted dark chocolate, add some milk/honey and apply on the skin. Wash later and get a glowing cleansed skin.
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