With Valentines Day now over your wondering what “am I going to do with all that left over chocolate.” At the same time your worried about the harmful effects of eating too much chocolate.
But you must know that recent studies have proven that chocolates high in cocoa solids provide potential health benefits. In fact researches have proven that chocolates have properties to work against sugar’s tendency to produce oral bacteria that can cause dental decay. Present researches have proved that chocolates are helpful to you in many ways. Chocolates release endorphins in the brain that acts as a pain reliever. It will boost your appetite without causing weight gain. It reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. It will make you live longer.
Chocolate which is rich in cocoa solids are now regarded as having the qualities that are beneficial to health. Cocoa is an excellent source of Polyphenols of the flavanol group. Polyphenols are very good antioxidants that destroys free radicals in a body.
Chocolates that are rich in flavanol have a large amount of nitric oxide. Nitric oxides are very important for human health. They resist cardiovascular diseases and help in maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Also flavanol rich chocolates act similar to low dose aspirin. They promote a healthy blood flow. They even reduce the risk of heart attack and blood’s ability to clot in the arteries and veins.
Before you grab a chocolate bar you must know what chocolate is good for your health! When cocoa is processed into chocolate products it undergoes several processes to reduce its pungent taste. The pungent taste is due to the presence of flavanols. The more chocolate is processed more flavanols are lost. Dark chocolate is reported to have highest level of polyphenols. So it is better to choose dark chocolates over milk chocolates. And if you are on a sugar restricted diet then choose a dark chocolate that is sweetened with a sugar alcohol which will not raise your blood sugar. I would recommend Ross Brand chocolates.
Dr Lorenzo Diana ND
Doctor Of Naturopathic Medicine