Who would even think that a pleasurable food such as chocolate can be very beneficial to health? For years, mothers have been telling their kids to stay away from chocolates to prevent teeth problems and the loss of appetite. But recent research studies have shown that chocolate has more benefits than what was once thought of. Although chocolates come in different forms, it is the dark chocolate that caught the attention of scientists, physicians, nutritionists, and health nuts.

Dark chocolate is chocolate with the absence of milk solids. This type can be contrasted to milk chocolates, which are highly enriched in milk solids to make it more palatable, easy to manipulate by candy confectioners and, probably, more economical. Dark chocolates are composed of these ingredients: cacao beans, sugar, and an emulsifier that is responsible for preserving its texture and flavorings. A dark chocolate has many variations, from sweet dark to semi-sweet to bittersweet. Sweet dark only has 30% cocoa content. A bittersweet chocolate has 70-80% cocoa content. The darker the chocolate is, the more nutritional benefits it offers to the body.

Here are eight sweet facts you need to know before you indulge in that melting moment of chocolate bliss and contentment:

1. Chocolate is a valuable energy source

With its low glycemic index, dark chocolate is a very good source of food energy. Just like oatmeal which releases sugar in tapered flow, dark chocolate, as soon as it is eaten, slowly releases sugar into the blood stream. When there is a slowing down of sugar release, insulin release by the pancreas is also slowed down. This means, there is a low chance of experiencing a sugar rush due mainly to high insulin. Yes, it does have almost the same calorie content as the milk chocolate, but its mechanism of releasing sugar at a slow rate makes it a valuable source of energy. Dark chocolates have lesser carbohydrates compared to milk chocolate; the darker it is, the lesser is its carbohydrates content. However, it contains high-fat ingredients, but this type of fat is beneficial to the body. Like every other food though, dark chocolates should be eaten in moderation because, hey, it contains sugar too.

2. Chocolates have enormous health benefits

Dark chocolates have been shown to have beneficial effects particularly to chronic illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and PMS. In a study published by an Italian researcher at the British Journal of Nutrition, there is a 20 percent decline of damage to the DNA after consumption of 860 mg of polyphenols and 58 mg of epicatechin found in dark chocolates. This result indicates that since there is less oxidative damage to the DNA, atherosclerosis and eventually heart damage is prevented.

For those with high stress levels, a study published in the Journal of Proteome Research shows that those who ate 40 grams of dark chocolate for two weeks have shown to have reduced amounts of stress hormones as evidenced in their urine and blood specimens. Around 30 participants were studied, each with various levels of anxiety. Those with high-stress levels evidenced in the chemical compositions found in urine and blood have lowered urinary excretion of cortisol and catecholamines, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine, known as the stress hormones. Additionally, eating chocolate also lowered the stress-related difference in the metabolism of energy, as well as the activity of the intestinal microbes which can be seen when a person has high stress levels.

3. Chocolate is a rich source of Iron

Studies have shown that dark chocolates are rich sources of iron. An ounce of dark chocolate has 19 percent RDA of iron, compared to beef which only has 3 percent RDA. The USDA National Nutrient Database shows that 100 grams of 70-80% cacao content of dark chocolate contains 11.90 mg iron, whereas, 100 grams of 70% of pan-browned lean ground beef only contains 2.48 mg iron. Dark chocolate is indeed higher in iron content compared to beef – and to think that beef has long been known as a rich source of iron.

4. Chocolates contain Potent Antioxidants via Flavonoids

Flavonoids keep cholesterol from clumping in the blood vessels. Anything that works by gobbling up free radicals, such as the byproducts of cholesterol, is called antioxidants. So flavonoids act as antioxidants. In an experiment made by Mary Engler, PhD, RN of the UCLA, subjects who loaded themselves with chocolates rich in epicatechin, a type of flavonoid, have been found to have better blood flow in their arteries. It is also possible that such increase in epicatechin has triggered other compounds to fight against the effects of hardening arteries thereby increasing the blood flow and protecting the heart from further damage.

Furthermore, antioxidants help fight off free radical damage which may cause other forms of diseases such as arthritis and cancer.

5. Chocolates contain the healthy forms of fat

When all types of chocolates have high fat content, dark chocolate is better because despite its high fat content, the fat is of the healthy form. Chocolates have oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat. Stearic acid is saturated fat but its effect is healthy because it neutralizes cholesterol. However, palmitic acid is not really that beneficial for those trying to lose weight or lessen fat intake since it is a saturated fat that increases cholesterol levels of the body. This is another reason why chocolates – even dark ones – should be eaten in moderation.

6. Chocolate is Low in Caffeine

For those who are not fans of caffeine, health wise or not, dark chocolate is better because although it contains caffeine, it is negligible compared to milk chocolates. Those who are concerned about taking caffeine due to heart ailments and other illnesses, the caffeine contained in every piece does not have any obvious effect compared to coffee.

7. Chocolate May Improve Skin Health

Increase accumulation of AGE, or advanced glycation end-products, are one of the signs of the aging process. This usually happens when there is an increase in fructose intake. Dark chocolates have low fructose level. Compared to milk chocolates which have high fructose content, dark chocolates work better in protecting against the effects of aging because of its antioxidant content, thereby giving one an improved skin health.

8. Chocolate Can Actually Suppress Cough

Compared with milk chocolates, dark chocolates have high amounts of theobromine. Theobromine is a methylxanthine compound. It has a diuretic effect such as caffeine and all other effects similar to all types of methylxanthine. Methylxanthine increases urine production, is a mild stimulant and it relaxes the smooth muscles of the lungs. Therefore, for those who are experiencing cough symptoms, dark chocolate’s effect on relaxing the smooth muscles covering the bronchi is advantageous in suppressing bronchial muscle spasms as an effect of cough.

Sources
inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com
webmd.com
nutraingredients.com
foodproductdesign.com
infobarrel.com
purdys.com