Here’s good news for all chocolate lovers. It is now a proven fact that relishing your favourite dark chocolate can make you healthier! Sounds too wonderful to be true, right? Dark chocolate is found to be packed with vitamins and minerals such as iron, copper and magnesium, to name a few. What more? Dark chocolate has a high amount of antioxidants which can do miracles for your skin. Take a look at some of the benefits of this ‘superfood’.
Nutritional chart
- 7.87 g of protein
- 43.06 g of fat
- 46.36 g of carbohydrates
- 11.00 g of dietary fibre
- 24.23 g of sugar
- 12.02 milligrams (mg) of iron
- 230.00 mg of magnesium
- 3.34 mg of zinc
Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate
The nutritional quality of milk chocolate is lesser compared to dark chocolate because of the amount of original cocoa it contains. Even though milk chocolate contains cocoa, it is usually diluted with sugar, cream and milk solids. Dark chocolate, consisting of more than 70% cocoa, is considered healthy. The more cocoa present in a chocolate bar, the higher its nutritional value.
Dark chocolate benefits for your skin
Being high on antioxidants, dark chocolate protects your skin from sun damage, reduces dark spots and pigmentation. Minerals such as copper, zinc and iron in dark chocolate improves cell growth and nourishes your skin. Moreover, dark chocolate keeps your skin moisturized and boosts circulation, delaying the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Thus, preventing premature ageing of your skin.
Dark chocolate for weight loss
The flavonols in chocolate are known to be extremely healthy as they help lower blood sugar and decrease body weight. We are all aware of the feel-good factor of chocolates. This encourages exercise, thus helping in weight loss. Containing a high amount of fibre, chocolates can easily make you feel a sense of satiety. This, in turn, decreases the need to eat more. Therefore, chocolate helps in reducing appetite, adding to weight loss. Studies suggest that chocolate fastens your metabolism. That is another reason to how chocolate aids in weight loss.
Dark Chocolate as mood boosters
It is a known fact that chocolate makes you happy. However, it is more than just a guilty pleasure. Chocolate comprises of chemicals such as phenylethylamine and tryptophan which releases serotonin that gives chocolate its mood-lifting superpower. Additionally, it contains dopamine and endorphins that decrease stress and pain levels.
Dark chocolate for the brain
Here’s the final surprise. Dark chocolate has an amazing impact on your brain’s functioning! Studies suggest that Dark chocolate improves blood flow to your brain. Cocoa may also enhance cognitive functions as well!
How much Dark chocolate should you eat?
You now know that dark chocolate can be extremely beneficial for your health. However, too much of anything is bad. So how much is not too much? 1-2 squares per day, is said to be the ideal amount which can do wonders for your health and well-being.
It is now a proven fact that dark chocolate is really a blessing to humankind. However, that does not mean it is all healthy. Choosing the right brand makes the difference. Be sure to check for the amount of cocoa in dark chocolate you consume. Anything above 70% of cocoa is considered genuine and healthy. So keep an eye on the cocoa count.
Now that you know dark chocolate isn’t just a guilty pleasure, do yourself a favour and have some!!