Dark chocolate has several times more antioxidants than green tea or red wine. And it contains substances that may help lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels and brain function, and help your body deal with insulin.
What Are the Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate for Women? Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood stream. The oleic acid in cocoa butter (the same mono-unsaturated fatty acid in olive oil) raises good cholesterol (HDL). Research says that dark chocolate is good for your heart.
A bite of dark chocolate a day could not only be good for your heart, but may also improve brain function, alleviate stress, and lower the risk of diabetes.
Dark Chocolate (70% cacao and up)
– Chocolate has many benefits but it can contribute to hormonal balance via its potent magnesium and iron, and ability to lower cortisol and boost mood-impacting hormones, serotonin and dopamine.
According to health experts, consuming around 30-60 grams of dark chocolate per day is a healthy amount for most people. That's about two to four small squares of your favourite chocolate bar.
You can enjoy dark chocolates as often as you want. However, for a person who wishes to lose weight with these chocolates, dark chocolates should be eaten on an empty stomach or 30 minutes after a solid-food meal. They can also be eaten as a snack between lunch and dinner.
Eating a moderate amount of high-cocoa dark chocolate could offer some health benefits. The range of minerals found in dark chocolate means it can support a range of body functions, including in the heart and brain.
Chocolate contains the chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, which are thought to be mood boosters and mild sexual stimulants. Eating chocolate makes you feel good, even euphoric. But the aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate are more about the sensual pleasure of how it melts in your mouth than as a sexual stimulus.
Dark chocolate in particular is, in fact, physiologically arousing, says Dr. Wise. This is because it both smells good and contains caffeine as well as phenethylamine (PEA), a naturally occurring chemical compound that stimulates humans' central nervous systems.
Foods that reportedly increase estrogen include flax seeds, soybean products, chocolate, fruit, nuts, chickpeas, and legumes.
Dark chocolate's flavanols might help protect your skin from UV (ultraviolet) rays. Those flavanols can also help improve blood flow, lower blood pressure and may help prevent some cancers. We break down all of the science so that you can justify eating your guilty pleasure even more.
What are the side effects of eating dark chocolate? The dark chocolate side effects may be associated with caffeine. It may cause sleeplessness, nervousness, increased urination, fast heartbeat, skin allergies, migraine and headache, nausea, and stomach problems like gas and constipation.
Rich in antioxidants, dark chocolate can help fight free radials that cause oxidative damage to skin cells. Free radicals can also break down the skin's collagen and create wrinkles.
The antioxidants in dark chocolate improve blood flow to your skin and protect it from sun damage. A small study even found that eating chocolate high in flavanols — that is, dark chocolate — can protect your skin from the effects of UV (ultraviolet) rays.
Dark chocolate is one food item which is excellent for overall sexual health as it increases dopamine levels, which is the chemical affecting the pleasure centres in the brain.
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac. Research shows that chocolate is a food that helps men stay erect by boosting blood flow throughout the body. As a natural viagra, chocolate helps men get a stronger and harder erection. Chocolate helps your body release hormones such as serotonin and dopamine to boost your sex drive.
Chocolate is rich in flavanols, plant nutrients that can increase blood flow and lower blood pressure. It also helps your body make more of nitric oxide, which can help with erections and is in many ED medications.
But chocolate also contains nutrients that can aid sleep. One ounce of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) has more than 15% of your daily recommended dose of magnesium, the same amount as half a cup of black beans or quinoa.
Dark chocolate is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Studies show it can help reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Studies show that dark chocolate — when it is not loaded with sugar and saturated fat — is indeed a heart-healthy chocolate treat and more.
Dark chocolate is rich in minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. The cocoa in dark chocolate also contains antioxidants called flavonoids, which may provide several health benefits. Chocolate comes from cacao, a plant with high levels of minerals and antioxidants.
Theobromine, a compound found in dark chocolate, has been shown to act as a mild stimulant. Consuming dark chocolate before bed can help you feel more relaxed and make it easier to transition into sleep.
It takes about an hour for dark chocolate to work. The theobromine in chocolate takes about that long to be absorbed into the bloodstream and to have an effect on the body.
Eating dark chocolate and cocoa alone didn't appear to have a major effect on heart health, she said. “Chocolate doesn't increase cholesterol levels, but it doesn't decrease cholesterol levels either.”