1. Do you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, Diabetes or stroke? Well recent studies have shown a significant decrease in the risk of contracting them if dark chocolate is regularly eaten.
2. Thickening of the blood can lead to clots which, in turn, can lead to stroke. However, it seems that the bacteria in your gut can break down dark chocolate into ant-inflammatory compounds which thin the blood lessening the chances of stroke.
3. Daily consumption of dark chocolate lowered participants blood pressure by some 3 to 4 points. This was reported in 20 different studies on the subject.
4. You don't have to be elderly or sick to get these benefits either. Young, healthy men in their 20's who ate a small square of dark chocolate daily had some 14% to 23% increased blood flow.
5. Dark chocolate can actually increase HDL, the good cholesterol in your body, due to it's powerful anti-oxidants. This in turn lowers LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol. Lower cholesterol means less chance of damage to arteries, thus protecting your heart.
6. The anti-oxidants in dark chocolate seem to be so good for so many things! A recently published research paper showed that they could improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics. They even showed insulin sensitivity improvement in non-diabetics.
7. A substance in dark chocolate called Theobromine could even help protect your teeth by hardening your tooth enamel.
8. Your skin could be protected from sun damage by the flavonols you consume in dark chocolate.
9. A substance released by the brain called phenylethylamine is responsible for helping you feel happy and relaxed. This substance has been shown to increase on eating dark chocolate stimulating the production of the feel good hormones.
How To Choose Chocolate
You don't want the milky, Mars Bars variety. Buy instead chocolates that are clearly labelled 70% or higher. They're not as sweet but you might find you acquire a taste for them.
2. Thickening of the blood can lead to clots which, in turn, can lead to stroke. However, it seems that the bacteria in your gut can break down dark chocolate into ant-inflammatory compounds which thin the blood lessening the chances of stroke.
3. Daily consumption of dark chocolate lowered participants blood pressure by some 3 to 4 points. This was reported in 20 different studies on the subject.
4. You don't have to be elderly or sick to get these benefits either. Young, healthy men in their 20's who ate a small square of dark chocolate daily had some 14% to 23% increased blood flow.
5. Dark chocolate can actually increase HDL, the good cholesterol in your body, due to it's powerful anti-oxidants. This in turn lowers LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol. Lower cholesterol means less chance of damage to arteries, thus protecting your heart.
6. The anti-oxidants in dark chocolate seem to be so good for so many things! A recently published research paper showed that they could improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics. They even showed insulin sensitivity improvement in non-diabetics.
7. A substance in dark chocolate called Theobromine could even help protect your teeth by hardening your tooth enamel.
8. Your skin could be protected from sun damage by the flavonols you consume in dark chocolate.
9. A substance released by the brain called phenylethylamine is responsible for helping you feel happy and relaxed. This substance has been shown to increase on eating dark chocolate stimulating the production of the feel good hormones.
How To Choose Chocolate
You don't want the milky, Mars Bars variety. Buy instead chocolates that are clearly labelled 70% or higher. They're not as sweet but you might find you acquire a taste for them.
About the Author:
I hope you enjoy reading about amazing dark chocolate health benefits as well as other superfoods at Streetarticles.
