Let's face it: One of life's most delicious indulgences is chocolate. No matter how you consume it, whether as a candy bar, a hot beverage, or a drizzle over ice cream, chocolate is a happy food.
Although it is wonderful, not all chocolate is healthy or even chocolate at all. For instance, white chocolate doesn't have any cocoa solids. That indicates that it is mostly a dessert.
100 grams of Dark Chocolate having 70-85% cacao content
Cocoa is rich in flavanols, which are plant chemicals that are great for health. The unique flavan-3-ols in cacao beans are what gives pure cocoa a bitter taste.Because cocoa's flavanols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and free-radical scavenging properties — and dark chocolate has a high concentration of cocoa — it might help to:
Studies conducted independently have suggested that dark chocolate may provide a variety of advantages that, when taken together, may protect against cardiovascular disease. In addition to having antithrombotic and antihypertensive qualities that can help avoid blood clots and reduce blood pressure, dark chocolate also has anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory benefits. More research is required to confirm that these impacts might all interact in this manner.
The types of flavanols present in dark chocolate have been shown to reduce risk factors associated with insulin resistance. These positive effects against insulin resistance may reduce the risk of diabetes in the long run.
Studies suggest that dark chocolate may have a positive effect on reducing blood pressure. Endothelial cells, which create a thin membrane inside the heart and blood vessels, help control the vascular system and keep your body’s blood flowing. In the study, people who ate dark chocolate for a week saw increased endothelial function and lower blood pressure.
Early tests showed that people who ate dark chocolate had improved vision two hours after eating the chocolate, compared to people who ate milk chocolate instead. While dark chocolate might offer temporarily improved vision, more tests are need to determine how long that boost might last or how helpful it might be in the real world.
The process of producing this chocolate differs slightly from the rest. Though the ingredients used are the same as its other variants, that is, cocoa liquor, milk powder and sugar, the quantities may vary.
As in, Dark Chocolate generally comprises a higher percentage of Cocoa content that can range anywhere from 30 to 85%. This is the primary distinction between Dark, Milk and White chocolate making it a bittersweet concoction.
A 1-ounce serving of dark chocolate with 70% cocoa provides about 20-25 mg of caffeine. Excessive consumption of dark chocolate can increase caffeine levels in blood, causing increased heart rate, nausea, dehydration and insomnia.
Approximately 30-60 grams of dark chocolate per day is recommended quantity to be healthy. Also, people having diabetes can consult their doctor before planning to consume daily.
