Cocoa beans contain a lot of flavanols, substances that prevent cellular aging and eliminate inflammation. Bitter–dark – chocolate, which contains at least 70% cocoa, is more useful in this regard than white or milk chocolate. But the product also has other useful properties.
1. Contains vitamins and microelements
Chocolate is not just cocoa. In addition, a good 100-gram chocolate bar contains fiber, which is good for digestion, and more than half the daily requirement of iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese, as well as zinc, phosphorus, selenium, and sodium.
However, we should also not forget that chocolate contains a lot of fat, sugar, and calories, and therefore it should still be eaten in moderation.
2. Reduces appetite
Great news for those trying to watch their weight. Eating chocolate suppresses the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Because the body produces less of it, the feeling of satiety lasts longer. Appetite decreases, and you simply don’t want to eat anything sweet. The benefits of chocolate are obvious – fewer calories are burned, and weight does not increase.
3. It is good for the heart
Antioxidants present in chocolate are good for the heart and blood vessels. People who do not give up chocolate are 30% less likely to encounter cardiovascular diseases. The risk of stroke among chocolate lovers also decreases and by no less than 20%. Let us recall that we are talking about dark chocolate. Scientists have found out how much you need to eat to maintain heart health. It turned out that no more than 50-100 g per day.
4. Helps improve athletic performance
Athletes should also consider dark chocolate if they want to win. One study found that cyclists who regularly ate dark chocolate finished the race an average of 2 minutes faster, without having to work any harder.
The body, charged with chocolate and the flavonols present in it, began to use oxygen more efficiently, which allowed for better results.
5. Makes the brain work better
Eating chocolate for good brain function is useful for both young and old people. Scientists believe that chocolate improves blood flow in those areas of the brain where it is needed, so tasks are solved better, new ideas come faster, and creativity increases. In addition, the beneficial components present in cocoa beans slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, which is especially important for older people.
6. Protects against diabetes
It may sound strange, but eating dark chocolate can be useful for patients with a tendency to diabetes. The same beneficial antioxidants contained in cocoa beans fight oxidative stress. Many scientists believe that it is one of the causes of insulin resistance, a condition in which tissues become insensitive to insulin, and therefore sugar levels remain constantly elevated. Eating chocolate makes the body more sensitive to insulin, and therefore glucose levels return to normal. Completely giving up chocolate increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes: those who never eat it have a 2-fold higher risk of developing the disease than those who eat chocolate at least once a week.
7. Improves skin condition
Another paradoxical statement: chocolate improves the condition of the skin. All this is due to manganese, magnesium, and iron present in the composition. Manganese, for example, is important for the production of collagen, which is needed for skin elasticity, and other components are necessary for the normal division of skin cells and their renewal, because the processes of replacing one cell with another are constantly taking place in the skin.
What can be done?
Eat 20 to 30 grams of chocolate per day (i.e. ¼ to ⅓ of a bar), but with one condition: the chocolate must be dark, i.e. contain at least 70% cocoa butter. Then the pleasure will definitely be supplemented with benefits.
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