The truth is that you probably don’t need to be convinced to eat dark chocolate. It’s one of the world’s most delicious foods.
But beyond its delightful taste, eating dark chocolate has some very real health benefits. That doesn't mean to reach for the nearest chocolate bar and celebrate. You want to be sure you're eating at least 60-80% cacao. Look for that on the label.
There's a difference between dark chocolate and the other kinds but there are plenty of good reasons to indulge in the right type of chocolate!
Dark Chocolate Vs Milk Chocolate
When you compare half a bar of dark chocolate against milk chocolate, the differences go to more than just taste.
Dark chocolate:
- has almost twice the amount of healthy fatty acids (5g. to 2.9g)
- has fewer carbs (6% to 8%)
- has 1/2 the sugar (10g to 21g)
- has 4 times the fiber (16% to 4%)
- has almost 5 times the iron (28% to 6%)
- is higher in phosphorous, magnesium, and potassium
- is higher in zinc (9% to 6%)
- is lower in cholesterol (0.3% to 3%)
- is much higher in theobromine, which lowers blood pressure (324mg to 82 mg)
Dark chocolate has more of the original cacao bean than milk chocolate. It’s the cacao that gives all the nutritional benefits. Cacao is high in the antioxidants known as flavonoids.
The higher the percentage of cacao, the better the chocolate is for you.
Milk chocolate has some cacao, but it is mixed in with milk solids, cream and sugar.
3 Ways Dark Chocolate Does The Body Good
1. It’s a mood booster.
It always feels good to treat yourself, but when you eat dark chocolate you lower your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone that causes depression. It also raises your risk of heart disease and stroke. I recommend Cacao Bliss! Enjoy this mood-enhancer and bliss-promoting chocolate goodness!
A study showed that people who ate cacao every day were 10% calmer.
Tweet2. It’s good for your heart.
When you think of chocolate, you probably think of cocoa butter and fat. But it turns out that a lot of the fat in cocoa butter is stearic acid. Our livers change it to oleic acid, and that lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol. Plus, dark chocolate is an anti-inflammatory that helps heart health.
3. It’s high in fiber and even has protein
Chocolate can help cravings and appetite by making you feel full. And a study of dark chocolate found that just the smell of it makes the body produce ghrelin, a hormone that reduces appetite.
It even offers some protein. A little over 1 gram of protein per ounce of dark chocolate is a bonus. Not that it should be your go-to protein source but an added gram of protein is always better than none.
After reading all this you're probably ready for a chocolate fix (I know I am) so here's one of my favorite ways to enjoy dark chocolate: Guilt Free Chocolate Truffles
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your chocolate loving friends and I welcome your comments below.
