Source: Hersheyland
A commonly accepted health rule states that if it tastes sweet, it mostly means bad for you. But do you know there are exceptions like honey and chocolate? Yes, there are several health benefits of eating chocolate, and we will examine them together.
Although people see it as a type of candy, chocolate sits at a whole new level. According to Love to Know, it ranks as the most popular candy in the world. However, most people get uncomfortable because of its sweet taste. Rest assured, even if you don’t like its sweetness despite its benefits, you can always have dark chocolate which tastes a bit bitter.
Without further ado, here are eight healthy reasons why you should eat chocolate.
1. Anti-inflammatory Properties
Research has proven that cocoa has anti-inflammatory properties that benefit the human body. However, these properties only remain in dark chocolate after processing. The reason is that the chocolate retains anti-inflammatory properties when it has at least 70% cocoa.
So, how does this benefit your body? Anti-inflammatory effects include lessening of swellings and pain in the body. It also helps to reduce reddening on the skin and in the body.
2. Helps With Stress Relief
You’ve most likely heard about how chocolate can relieve stress and help with sad moods. It does this by reducing cortisol levels in the body. In case you don’t know, cortisol is called the Stress Hormone despite its numerous functions in the human body.
Regular consumption of chocolate helps your body reduce its stress level by bringing down the amount of cortisol in there.
Source: WorldStrides
3. Lowers The Risk of Heart Disease
Chocolate aids in lowering the risk of developing heart disease. Although dark chocolate does this better, I still see it as a win for anyone who enjoys eating it. It almost feels like the candy exists as one of God’s gifts to humankind.
The presence of Magnesium makes it good for the heart. However, this doesn’t mean you should use it as a substitute for recommended medication.
4. Chocolate Contain Anti-oxidants
You might not know this before, but chocolate remains a good source of antioxidants. Thanks to the presence of flavanols and polyphenols, eating these confectionaries benefits your body.
As usual, dark chocolate works best if you want a type that fits the criterion. It doesn’t have that sweetness that discourages most people while having almost all the benefits.
5. Healthy Digestion
Dark chocolate has prebiotic and high fiber content, both of which make digestion easier. Prebiotics help the helpful bacteria in your gut and prevent the harmful ones from increasing.
In the real sense of it, the fiber content is responsible for the presence of prebiotics. Next time you get worried about your digestion, dark chocolate can help.
6. Improves Cognitive Function and Memory
I remember hearing this for the first time back in the university when I went for a reading session at a friend’s house. His mom, a health worker, brought us chocolate to make reading and retention easier.
Months later, I read a report that proved chocolate indeed helps increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain. This makes it easier for your brain to retain information and function better. So, yes, chocolate helps to improve memory too.
Source: eagle
7. Lowers Cholesterol
Eating dark chocolate regularly has been linked to a reduction in LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol stands for Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol. Doctors call it the ‘bad’ cholesterol due to its contribution to heart diseases and increase in blood pressure. The risk of these ailments rises when LDL levels increase in the body.
Fortunately, consuming dark chocolate can help reduce LDL levels in the body. This also means that it helps to improve blood pressure, thereby aiding the heart.
8. Weight Loss
At this point, you might also be wondering if we can find something chocolate doesn’t do. Well, it isn’t a one-fixes-all confectionary. However, let’s add one more feather to its cap.
Chocolate helps with weight loss. According to The Harvard Gazette, consuming healthy amounts of chocolate for a short time every morning helps to burn fat in postmenopausal women.
Also, regular ingesting of dark chocolate reduces sugar cravings. The result is a lesser intake of excess food, which leads to weight loss.
Bonus – Chocolate Tastes Great!
Regardless of its flavor, texture, and shape, chocolate tastes great. Even if you haven’t found one that does, there’s one out there made just for you!
What’s more? You can get a Black-owned chocolate brand that fits your tastes too!
Source: Alyona’s Cooking
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Eating Chocolate Make You Happy?
Yes, consuming chocolate can make you happy. Eating chocolate makes the brain release a hormone called serotonin. This hormone creates the feelings of happiness in our bodies.
What Does Chocolate Do For Women?
Chocolate has several health benefits for women which include improving cardiovascular and cognitive health. It also helps to uplift their moods, which is one of the reasons why you always add it to a period care package.
Does Chocolate Expire?
Yes, chocolate has a shelf life during which it is safe for consumption. We’ve got 8 to 12 months for milky and white chocolate, to 2 years for dark chocolate.
Is It Okay To Eat Chocolate Everyday?
Remember that chocolate is high in calories. As such, you shouldn’t consume more than the recommended amount every day. So far you don’t eat beyond this volume daily, so you’re good to go.
What Are The Side Effects of Chocolate?
Consuming large amounts of chocolate frequently can cause increased heart rate, lack of sleep, and increased need to pee.
Therefore, you should always eat responsibly and moderately, as with every other edible thing.
