It is rare that eating chocolate is recommended for health reasons. However, quite surprisingly, dark chocolate is said to contain antioxidants that benefit your body when eaten properly.
People often refer to dark chocolate as "bittersweet" chocolate. It contains roughly 70% cocoa solids and has less or no sugar added.
(THE POWER)Since it has less or no sugar, dark chocolate is far less susceptible to heat than milk chocolate.
Some recent studies suggest that eating dark chocolate provides your body with essential antioxidants that could help with getting rid of free radicals that cause premature aging.
Other studies indicate that another benefit of dark chocolates is it could help with lowering bad cholesterol oxidation and reduce the risk of blood clots.
The primary reason why dark chocolate have these benefits is the flavonoids it contains. A flavonoid is a ketone that one can also find in the stems, seeds, and leaves of several plants. These flavonoids are members of a class of antioxidants called polyphenols, which are also found in red wine, tea, and certain fruits and vegetables.
It is estimated that dark chocolate contains eight times the levels of polyphenol antioxidants when compared with strawberries.
Latest Trends in Healthy Chocolate
As the concept of healthy chocolate gains momentum, products are being brought to market that combine the best qualities of chocolate with those of other ingredients. The mixture produces a high-powered blast of benefits with all of the intrinsic satisfaction that eating chocolate brings.
What makes healthy chocolate different from the kind you find within candy bar wrappers? First, there are no sugars, milk fats, or hydrogenated oils. Second, it has not been subjected to what is called the Dutch process, whereby an alkali is introduced that all but destroys the antioxidants. Rather, it is cold pressed to preserve the antioxidants and nutrients. Third, it is often combined with Acai berries and blueberries to further boost its antioxidant properties - so much so that some products give you the equivalent of a half-pound of spinach or three-quarters of a pound of broccoli in one small nugget. Fourth, the dark chocolate has no trans fat, no wax, and no fillers.
Healthy Chocolate as a Weight Loss Tool
Unarguably, it's counterintuitive to think of chocolate as being a central component of a weight loss plan. But healthy chocolate - without the additives, sugar, and milk fat - can, indeed, help you lose weight. Eating a nugget with a glass of water about a half our before a meal can quell hunger and satisfy chocolate cravings. You'll eat less at meals and get a boost of nutrients in the process. Similarly, eating a nugget as a snack is a healthy alternative to more calorie-laden fare.
In addition to being a pleasure on the palate, consuming fifty grams of dark chocolate made of at least 70 percent chocolate solids could provide health benefits and supplement your diet with additional iron, potassium, and calcium. Find out here
(THE POWER) how to burn fat in a healthy way with chocolate.