Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate

Who says healthy has to be tasteless? You don’t have to deprive yourself in order to stay healthy – it’s all about balance. One of the healthy foods in which you can indulge, for example, is dark chocolate! Yes – the same dark chocolate that you might buy in candy bar form for a treat. As with all of the best things in life, however, moderation is key and it’s important that you keep the amount of dark chocolate you’re consuming to a reasonable level. To learn more about dark chocolate, how much you should be eating, and how it helps your health, keep reading!

How much dark chocolate should I eat?

Before you grab your favorite dark chocolate candy bar and chow down, take a moment to look at the label. You want to ensure that the dark chocolate is actually high in cocoa content and doesn’t have a bunch of unnecessary additives. You want quality dark chocolate, and you should keep your serving size from 1.5 to 3 ounces a day. Double check the back of the bar at the label and see what the information there says, too!

How can dark chocolate help my health?

First of all, dark chocolate has high levels of antioxidants, the things that that help reduce oxidative damage. This is a big deal because too much oxidative damage can lead to the creation of free radicals, which has been linked to heart disease and various cancers. Dark chocolate contains the following, all of which function as antioxidants and help keep you healthy:

• Flavanols
• Polyphenols
• Catechins

 Lower Blood Pressure

Dark chocolate can help lower your blood pressure and improve blood flow. This isn’t to say that you should give up your medication in favor of the delicious embrace of dark chocolate, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to eat some dark chocolate along the way!

Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Some of the compounds found in dark chocolate have been found to help avoid oxidation damage to LDL. In theory, this means that you should experience a reduction in the amount of cholesterol that ends up lodged in your arteries. This, in turn, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease!

Are you looking for another delicious food to help keep your body healthy? Check out our acai berry juice or supplements!