Is dark chocolate good for you?

When we think of chocolate, we usually do not associate it with something healthy. Chocolate for many is an indulgence, something that you would only eat during cheat day or when you want to give yourself a treat.

But while this can be associated with other types of chocolate, the same cannot be said for dark chocolate. Unlike the other variants, we can even say that dark chocolate is very healthy. It has so many nutrients and it is one of the richest sources of antioxidants. Here are some of the best benefits of dark chocolate for your body.

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

It can help prevent depression

For those who are experiencing symptoms of depression, you can try to eat dark chocolate. A survey has shown that people who consumed them in the past 24 hours were 70% less likely to feel these symptoms.

The antidepressant effects of dark chocolate may be due to some of its ingredients like caffeine, theobromine, and phenylethylamine. They can elevate one’s mood right away so be sure to have a bar or two ready in your pantry for days when you need to chase the blues away.

It can help prevent stroke

Regularly eating dark chocolate can lower the risk of getting a heart attack or stroke. they contain a lot of flavonoids which have both anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects.

A study has shown that as much as 39% of the risk is lowered for those who ate chocolate. The consumption of chocolate can also lead to better blood pressure. The average amount of chocolate being consumed is about 7 grams daily.

This is especially good for pregnant people, as eating them can lower the risk of pre-eclampsia which can be fatal for both the mother and the child.

It is high in antioxidants

Antioxidants are important because they counteract the effect of free radicals in our body. These free radicals damage our cells which can lead to serious diseases like cancer.

Most people think that you can only get antioxidants from cereals or fruits and vegetables, but dark chocolate actually has a lot of antioxidants compared with other foods.

It’s also best to take it with milk as this can negate the health effects of the chocolate.

It is very nutritious

As stated above, dark chocolate his very nutritious, especially if you go for the variant that has a high cocoa content. If you buy a bar of dark chocolate that has at least 70%, you will get more than half f the recommended daily intake for iron, manganese, magnesium, and copper.

Top Recipes To Do With Dark Chocolate

Now that you know just how good dark chocolate is for your health, here are some recipes you can try.

Chocolate Banana Bread

We can guarantee that this will be one of the best Chocolate Banana Bread recipes you will ever try. When baking this make sure that you invest in quality chocolate and of course, the cocoa powder.

If you are trying to cut down on your sugar intake, you can easily reduce the sugar from one cup to 3/4 only. You can make a big batch of this and it will just be the perfect breakfast meal on a weekend.

Do watch the oven while waiting for it to bake as this will become dry if you overbake it.

Chocolate Flourless Cake

If you are on a low carb diet but you still want to eat some desserts, worry no more. This Chocolate Flourless Cake is indulgent, with its reach taste and creamy texture.

To make it even healthier, choose a sugar substitute such as xylitol. But please do not use stevia as the taste would be altered. The prep and baking time for this cake will only take you a total of about 1 hour and 15 minutes, after which you will have a delicious dessert that everyone will love.

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

This Red Velvet Hot Chocolate may be perfect for the holiday season, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t have it now.

In less than 15 minutes, you can prepare this drink by combining some milk, whipping cream, chocolate, and vanilla extract. You will also need to have some red food coloring on hand. Of course, don’t forget to top it with some whipped cream for th perfect drink on a snowy day.

Conclusion

Remember that when buying your dark chocolate, you should always go for the quality. Also, the darker it is, the better. You can go for as high as 90% of cocoa as this will have a better effect on your healthy

And lastly, just because it is healthy does not mean that you should not eat moderately. You should always aim for a balanced diet. Don’t consume a 100-gram portion of dark chocolate for every meal. Try to eat about 20 grams every meal so you can have it regularly.