7 health benefits of dark chocolate

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Pure dark chocolate has many nutrients that bring positive effects on health. This is one of the best sources of antioxidants. Studies show that dark chocolate is healthy and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

1. Dark Chocolate and Health

According to a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, the habit of regularly consuming small amounts of dark chocolate bars is associated with a decrease in BMI. The study was conducted by asking the frequency of chocolate consumption (via a questionnaire) and BMI analyzed in 1,018 men and women aged 20 to 85. Mood, activity over a period of 7 days, Fruit and vegetable intake and saturated fat intake were considered and also included in the analysis by the researchers. Overall, there is a correlation between chocolate consumption and low BMI. The mean age of the subjects was 57, of which 68% were male, with a BMI of 28, who ate dark chocolate twice per week and exercised approximately 3.5 times per week.

2. Dark chocolate strengthens the brain

A study by the University of Nottingham showed that eating dark chocolate can give your brain a boost in alertness for 2-3 hours. Flavanols, one of the key components of dark chocolate, dilate blood vessels, allowing more oxygen and blood to reach important areas of the brain, which can help you fight fatigue and the effects of aging. Study participants drank a flavanol-rich cocoa drink, but you can eat dark chocolate or any foods high in flavanols such as red wine, green tea, and blueberries to reap this beneficial effect.

2. Dark chocolate works to improve eyesight

In addition to carrots, dark chocolate can also improve your eyesight, according to research published in the journal Physiology & Behavior. The researchers found that participants who consumed dark chocolate with 720 mg of flavanols had better visual acuity, such as motion detection and reading low-contrast letters. The explanation for this effect of dark chocolate may be due to increased blood flow to the retina and brain.

3. Dark chocolate helps the body reduce inflammation

Dark chocolate contains many antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of disease, slow the aging process. In addition, the flavanols in chocolate also work to keep the endothelial cells lining the arteries healthy.
In one study, cigarette smokers had a significant improvement in endothelial function within 2 hours of eating high flavonol chocolate. However, make sure to choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa to reap these anti-inflammatory benefits.

4. Dark chocolate can protect your skin from the sun

Dark chocolate is known to prevent harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, the light emitted by the sun.
The most effective way to achieve this effect is to eat whole cocoa beans. If you can't use raw cocoa, high-quality dark chocolate still offers sun damage benefits. The flavonols in 85% of dark chocolate are still present enough to have this effect.
One study measured the Minimum Erythema Dose (MED) - this is a measure of how much exposure would start to negatively affect the skin. A high MED is good because it means you need to be exposed to more UV rays to get hurt.
MED was significantly increased for the group of study participants who consumed cocoa rich in flavonols for several weeks. For the group that did not consume or consumed chocolate with lower flavonols, there was no change.

5. Lower blood pressure

According to research from the Journal of the American Medical Association, if you have slightly high blood pressure, just one piece of dark chocolate a day can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure levels. Cocoa polyphenols reduced the prevalence of hypertension from 86% to 68% in participants (44 in total) aged 56 to 73 years who consumed about 6 grams of dark chocolate (containing 30 mg of polyphenols) per day in within 18 weeks.
A recent study done at Harvard looked at 24 past studies on the effects of chocolate with more than 1,000 participants and collectively concluded that dark chocolate with 50 to 70% cocoa content had the effect of lowering blood pressure in all participants.
While fruits, vegetables and tea are good sources of antioxidants, research shows that cocoa beans have the highest levels of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients in the world.

6. Dark chocolate can improve LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol

According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, polyphenols in cocoa powder and dark chocolate may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and improving cholesterol antioxidant capacity. good (HDL).
According to a meta-analysis published in 2011 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating dark chocolate is a short-term intervention that reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol levels in body. To arrive at these results, researchers analyzed data from 10 clinical trials in which 320 participants added dark chocolate to their daily diet for two to 12 weeks. The results showed that the dark chocolate intervention significantly reduced serum LDL and total cholesterol, but did not significantly reduce high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or triglycerides.
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The article is referenced at the source: healthline.com