Dark chocolate is high in nutrients that are beneficial to your health. It’s made from the cacao tree’s seed and is one of the best sources of antioxidants available. Dark chocolate has been shown in studies to promote health and reduce the risk of heart disease. This article examines seven scientifically validated health advantages of dark chocolate or cocoa.
The term ORAC refers to the ability to absorb oxygen radicals. It’s a measurement of a food’s antioxidant activity.
Contains a lot of antioxidants
Basically, researchers test a sample of food against a bunch of free radicals (bad) to evaluate how well the antioxidants in the food can neutralise the free radicals. ORAC values are questioned in terms of biological significance because they are measured in a test tube and may not have the same effect in body. Raw, unprocessed cocoa beans, on the other hand, are among the highest-scoring meals that have been tested. Dark chocolate is high in physiologically active chemical compounds that serve as antioxidants. Polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins are only a few of them.According to one study, cocoa and dark chocolate had higher antioxidant activity, polyphenols, and flavanols than any of the other fruits studied, including blueberries and acai berries.
The flavanols in dark chocolate can increase the production of nitric oxide by the endothelium, the lining of arteries (NO). One of NO’s tasks is to transmit signals to the arteries to relax, lowering blood flow resistance and thereby lowering blood pressure. Cocoa and dark chocolate have been shown in numerous controlled trials to enhance blood flow and reduce blood pressure, albeit the benefits are usually minor. Take this with a grain of salt, as one study in people with high blood pressure found no effect. Given the wide range of findings among studies on this topic, it’s evident that further study is required.
It has the potential to enhance blood flow and reduce blood pressure.
Dark chocolate contains chemicals that appear to protect LDL against oxidation. Long-term, this should result in significantly less cholesterol accumulating in the arteries, lowering the risk of heart disease. Several long-term observational studies have discovered a significant improvement. Cocoa was found to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 50% over the course of 15 years in a trial of 470 older men.
According to another study, eating chocolate twice or more each week reduced the risk of calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%. It had no effect if you ate chocolate less often. Another study found that eating dark chocolate five times a week reduced the risk of heart disease by 57%. According to a 2017 clinical investigation, people who ate almonds with or without dark chocolate had lower LDL cholesterol levels.D ark chocolate consumption can help with a number of key heart disease risk factors.
Protects LDL from oxidation by increasing HDL levels.
Cocoa powder was proven to lower oxidised LDL (bad) cholesterol substantially in men in a controlled research. For people with elevated cholesterol, it boosted HDL and decreased total LDL. Free radicals have interacted with LDL cholesterol, resulting in oxidised LDL cholesterol. As a result, the LDL particle becomes reactive and capable of causing damage to various tissues, including the lining of your heart’s arteries. Cocoa reduces oxidised LDL, which makes reasonable.
It contains a large number of potent antioxidants that make their way into the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins from oxidative damage. Dark chocolate’s flavanols can also help to lower insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, contains sugar, which can work against you.
There is a lot of evidence that cocoa has a lot of health benefits, especially when it comes to heart disease prevention. Of course, this does not imply that you should eat a lot of chocolate every day. It’s still high in calories and simple to consume too much of. After dinner, have a square or two and try to savour them. Consider creating a hot cocoa without any cream or sugar if you want the advantages of cocoa without the calories of chocolate.
In addition, a lot of chocolate on the market isn’t healthy. Select high-quality items. Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or more. You might be interested in this guide to finding the best dark chocolate. Dark chocolates normally contain some sugar, although it is usually in small amounts, and the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it contains. Chocolate is one of the rare foods that tastes great and has a lot of health advantages.
