By far the tastiest food on the Earth, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. In times of depression and stress, who needs a shoulder, when you’ve got some reliable chocolate for consolation? Chocolate is also considered as the perfect food to enhance mood and to induce romance. However, have you ever wondered, if chocolate is good for your health?
Chocolate, the desirable and lustful star, in the recent years has caught the media’s prying lens as it is believed that dark chocolate may just help protect the cardiovascular system. But before you fix a date with sensational, probably even sensual chocolate, it is also important to understand that not all types of chocolate contain high amounts of cocoa flavanols or phytonutrients (nutrients found in plants) that are naturally present in cocoa. The unique blend of these flavanols, is by far, unmatched when compared to any other food found on planet Earth!
Chocolate has dependably been enjoyed, the world over and is more than merely a candy bar. A bite of chocolate is a gastronomic experience as you advance through gooey goodness that fills the mouth with tons of delicious cocoa, sweetened to taste utterly divine. Its never truly been hard to eat chocolate, but it is hard to restrain yourself from having that extra bite. Weight watchers and the diet conscious have ardently avoided chocolates, thinking that it is difficult to say no, but, saying NO nevertheless!
Say no, no more! Now you too can say yes to chocolate. Several researches have shown that nibbling on chocolate in moderate quantities could actually improve your cognitive ability, helping you think better. The studies found that eating chocolate in consistent quantities significantly increases visual-spatial memory, working memory, abstract memory, mini-mental state examination and also an improvement in cognitive behavior.
Dark chocolate is also known as "bittersweet" or "semisweet" chocolate. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids called procyanidins and epicatechins. About 45-80 percent of cocoa solids are present in dark chocolate whereas milk chocolate contains 5 to 8 percent of cocoa solids. Flavonoids are a good antioxidant. This flavonol is found to be beneficial for cardiovascular health as it influences blood pressure, inflammation and also increases brain function.
Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Enjoy having moderate portions of chocolate a couple of times each week, and don’t forget to include other flavonoid-rich foods in your diet like apples, tea, red wine, cranberries and so on.
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