Dark Chocolate Health Benefits

Dark Chocolate has unique health benefits such as slimming and longevity benefits, as well as antioxidants that can help prevent chronic disease—but only the "good" kind and in appropriate amounts.

According to research, chocolate may not only make life more enjoyable, but it may also help to lengthen it. Chocolate's health benefits date back to ancient times, when the Aztecs brewed a chocolate drink from the cacao bean.

Chocolate's antioxidant content may explain some of its health-promoting properties. Cacao phenols can help build immunity by inhibiting free radicals. Chocolate may be a smart and delicious natural intervention for everything from living a longer life to getting a leaner body.

Chocolate as an Obesity Treatment

A March 2021 study looked at how postmenopausal women's body composition would change if they ate 10 grammes of cocoa-rich chocolate every day.

The subjects were divided into two groups for the six-month randomized trial: the intervention group, which received 10 grammes (g) of 99 percent cocoa chocolate daily as part of their habitual diet, and the control group, which did not receive any cocoa. The first group received 65.4 milligrammes (mg) of polyphenols in their chocolate.

When it came to body fat mass and body fat percentage (as measured in the trunk, arms, and legs), cocoa was linked to a favourable decrease in the intervention group, with an insignificant decrease in body fat mass index.

"Daily addition of 10 g of cocoa-rich chocolate to the habitual diet of postmenopausal women reduces their body fat mass and body fat percentage without changing their weight," the researchers wrote.

Cacao derivatives were tested in animal models for five weeks in a separate study. The treatments reduced body weight by 39%, systolic blood pressure by 27%, triglycerides by 55%, total cholesterol by 24%, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by 37%, and the triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio by 54%, according to the researchers. The cacao derivatives improved the subjects' metabolic function without causing any side effects, according to the researchers.

Chocolate as a Cardiovascular Food

Flavonols, which are polyphenolic compounds derived from plants and found in cocoa, have been linked to improved endothelial function and blood pressure in humans.

A March 2021 study investigates the effect of cocoa flavonol consumption on stress-induced changes in human vascular function.

The researchers recruited 30 healthy men to consume a cocoa beverage 1.5 hours before performing an eight-minute mental stress task, measuring forearm blood flow, blood pressure, and cardiovascular activity before and after, both at rest and during stress.

According to the findings, cocoa increased forearm blood flow both at rest and during stress, with similar effects on stress-induced cardiovascular and blood pressure responses in both cases. Flavanols, which effectively counteract endothelial dysfunction and increase peripheral blood flow during stress.

Chocolate as a Longevity Promoter

What about the link between chocolate consumption and mortality? This link was studied in the US population by 91,891 participants aged 55 to 74 in a study published in July 2021.

A food frequency questionnaire was used by the researchers to assess the subjects' chocolate consumption. They documented 19,586 all-cause deaths over an average of 13.5 years of follow-up.

The lowest risk of dying from any cause was seen at 0.7 servings of chocolate per week, and the lowest risk of dying from cardiovascular events was seen at 0.6 servings per week. When compared to current or former smokers, the benefits were more pronounced in subjects who had never smoked.

While the exact causes of ageing are unknown, research suggests that telomeres are linked to the ageing process. A study discovered a strong relationship between the rate of telomere shortening and the lifespan of species such as humans.

Interestingly, a study published in 2020 discovered that adolescents who consumed two servings of chocolate candy per week or more had longer leukocyte telomere length compared to nonconsumers, possibly due to its effect on the apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1)/HDL pathway.

According to a 2008 study, cocoa has antioxidant, pro-oxidative, and metal-chelating properties on the common fruit fly.

It's critical to consume the right kind of chocolate if you want to lose weight and live longer.

Dark and Raw: The darker the colour, the less sugar is added to the mix. Go for at least 70% cacao content, with raw cacao being preferred because more flavanols are preserved.

Organic farming allows you to avoid glyphosate and other pesticide residues found in conventional farming.

Fair Trade: Cacao crops are frequently traded unfairly and have even been linked to the use of child slaves.

Sun protection for your skin

The bioactive compounds found in dark chocolate can be extremely beneficial to your skin. It can protect your skin from sun damage, improve blood flow, and increase skin density and hydration. The minimal erythemal dose is the amount of UVB rays that cause skin redness 24 hours after exposure. If you are planning a vacation, you should consider eating more dark chocolate in the weeks before to improve your skin care routine.

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