The amount of chocolate consumption probably slightly increase in February. Well, it’s the month of love titled as Valentine’s day when lovebirds all over the world celebrate their adorableness towards each other by giving gifts, such as chocolate!
On daily basis, you probably skip chocolate as your snack. Because, maybe, you’re too afraid of its calorie would ruin your diet. But let’s take a look behind the curtain because food is not only about the calories contained in it. Some of them give you satisfaction, pleasure, and also health benefits, right? Just like your favorite dark chocolate!
Quoted from healthline.com eating dark chocolate with high cocoa content in moderation can deliver antioxidants and minerals. It also may help to prevent heart disease. But let’s have a borderline here, consuming in moderation since most of the chocolate in the market also contains high sugar. Let’s take a look at other benefits of consuming dark chocolate.
- Rich in Antioxidants
Dark chocolate is highly contained with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. Quoted from webmd.com chocolate is loaded with flavanols, such as epicatechin and catechin. These compounds help to protect your cells from inflammation, improve brain function, and boost immune and cardiovascular health. The number of antioxidants in dark chocolate may help to lower bad cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and improve blood flow.
- Great for Your Skin
We’ve mentioned above that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and may help to improve your blood flow. It also benefits your skin. Consuming a moderation of dark chocolate may improve blood flow to the skin, and protect it from sun damage. Based on a study in Food and Chemical Toxicology journal, consuming dark chocolate weeks to months before your beach vacation may help to guard your skin against the sun. But you still need to remember that consuming dark chocolate will never replace the protection provided by sunscreen, so you also need to stock up the sunscreen before the trip.
- Boost Your Mood
Dark chocolate is considered a happy food. The tryptophan compound contains in dark chocolate has a role as a precursor to serotonin, the happy hormone. This compound may help to boost serotonin which leads to the activation of happy feelings and mood elevating. Some studies from SAGE Journals also mentioned that dark chocolate can positively reduce anxiety and enhance calmness.
Even though chocolate has many benefits for your health, you also need to keep in to consume it in moderation. The darker the chocolate is better. If the chocolate contains a higher percentage of cacao it most likely contains a lower sugar level, such as dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content. According to the American Heart Association, the limitation for women to consume dark chocolate is 25 grams per day, and 36 grams for men. Don’t forget to pick high-quality chocolate, especially if you’re about to give it to someone who you’d love the most! Enjoy your sweet gift today!