I've ditched milk chocolate and gone dark. Since I was never going to give up the sweet stuff, it seemed smart to swap it for a less sugary and more nutritious variety. Dark chocolate has a lot going for it and in this article we share 4 great reasons to give it a go.
1. Dark Chocolate Keeps Your Heart Healthy
Your ticker will love this – according to a 2012 Monash University study published in the British Medical Journal, dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
In fact, the researchers found that eating chocolate daily (yes, daily!) could avoid 70 non-fatal and 15 fatal cardiovascular events for every 10,000 people in 10 years. Why? It's all down to flavonoids, which are found in dark chocolate.
2. Dark Chocolate Has Healthy Fats
Chocolate is fattening, right? Not necessarily. Most reputable chocolate brands use cocoa butter, which stems from the cacao bean. This butter is very low in polyunsaturated fat.
Another plus is that since dark chocolate is more filling than other varieties, you're likely to eat less of it. So if you're trying to watch your weight but still want a little treat, a couple of squares of quality dark chocolate isn't likely to hurt. Just be sure not to gobble down the whole slab!
3. Dark Chocolate Has Antioxidants
Hail the antioxidants! Thanks to the high antioxidant and polyphenol content of cacao, dark chocolate has been said to help ward off cancer. This is because the antioxidants can reduce the damage caused by free radicals.
4. Dark Chocolate May Control Diabetes
The flavonoids in dark chocolate enhance nitric oxide, which controls insulin sensitivity. Some studies have even shows than chowing down on dark chocolate can reduce the onset of insulin resistance by up to half.
Choose Your Chocolate
Bear in mind that not all dark chocolate is created equal. When shopping for chocolate that produces all of these benefits, be sure to pick up a bar made from at least 70 percent cocoa.
Originally published on Jul 12, 2013
