Top 5 Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
If you are a dark chocolate lover, here’s the good news. Several studies have proved that consuming 1.6 ounce dark chocolate every day is good for your health. Dark chocolate is said to contain 65% or more of cocoa in it. Dark chocolate is considered to be healthy since it contains flavonoids that act as antioxidants. You should always look for pure and clean dark chocolate and should avoid dark chocolates with nougat, caramel or any other filling, since these fillings tend to add more fat and sugar to the dark chocolate that thereby eradicates the health benefits of dark chocolate. However, you can consider consuming dark chocolates that contain orange peels, nuts, or other such flavorings. Here are the top 5 health benefits of dark chocolate.
1. Combats depression
A chemical known as “Tryptophan” present in dark chocolate helps in producing serotonin. Serotonin is nothing but a neurotransmitter that controls and normalizes your mood, sleep, anger and aggression. Since serotonin helps in fighting depression, it turns out to be one among the major benefits of dark chocolate.
2. Helps to keep your heart healthy
Research has proved that consumption of dark chocolate reduces heart disease risks such as strokes, heart attacks and blood clots. Magnesium, an essential nutrient needed to operate the cardiovascular system, is present in dark chocolate.
3. Enhances HDL cholesterol
Dark chocolate includes a monounsaturated fatty acid, known as oleic acid. It is a proven fact that this fatty acid helps to increase the HDL or good cholesterol level.
