3 Honest And Important Reasons Why You Should Eat Chocolate Everyday

Nothing quite gives us an instant energy boost like dark chocolate. As little as two-three bites are enough to keep us pumped for hours. Moreover, it also comes as a savior when we are looking for something to bust our stress while also not messing up our diets. Apart from these evident positive effects, dark chocolate also provides several long-term health gains.

The most common reasons behind the increasing popularity of dark chocolate as a health tonic are that it boosts heart health by reducing cholesterol levels, keeps blood pressure in check, averts certain cancers, and the like. Regular intake of dark chocolate in moderation can, over the years, significantly improve your body’s functioning.

Consumption of chocolate dates back to about 2000 years. The word came from “xocoatl,” an Aztec word for a drink made from cacao. The English translation of Theobroma cacao, as cacao trees are called in Latin, is ‘food of the gods.’ That’s quite an accurate description of chocolate.

Isn’t it?

One thing to keep in mind is that not every chocolate is the same. Definitely not when we talk about them from a health point of view. It is important to carefully read the label before buying and munching on it. The cocoa content varies and the remaining part comprises milk and sugar. You want to look for a minimum of 70% cocoa in chocolates. The darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa content it will have, and the better it will be for your health.

We talked with nutritionists to get all our queries pertaining to dark chocolate resolved. Keep reading to find out all the information about these delightful bars.

Health benefits offered by dark chocolate

The primary reason behind the miraculous effects of dark chocolate on health is its high concentration of flavanols. These are a kind of polyphenol that are naturally occurring compounds that provide immense health benefits. A few common sources of flavanols include tea, coffee, and grapes. Kris Sollid, senior director at the International Food Information Council notes that dark chocolate has a generous amount of cocoa, an excellent source of flavanols. In contrast, white chocolate has milk as its chief ingredient, and therefore, has a much lower flavanols content.

As per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, white aka milk chocolate has as much as 2 to 3 times lesser cocoa as compared to dark chocolate. Mentioned below are some more of the most astounding health benefits of dark chocolate.

Helps in proper blood circulation

Research done in the past has laid down that dark chocolate plays a significant role in blood circulation. It does so by aiding in nitric oxide production in the blood vessels. This, in turn, enhances blood circulation and flow. Sollid says that it is important to have a healthy blood flow.

Any complications with blood pressure can lead to serious heart diseases. She went on to add that the studies linking dark chocolate with good blood circulation have been conducted only for short durations. Consuming dark chocolate regularly over a period of years may contribute to increased sugar and unhealthy fats consumption.