A study published by the journal Appetite found that people who eat chocolate, including dark chocolate, at least once a week had a lower prevalence of diabetes and were at lower risk for diabetes four to five years later. A study has shown that dark chocolate decreases blood pressure. The flavanols within chocolate have been shown to protect against sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin, and improve skin hydration and density.
These dark chocolate flavanols have beneficial effects on blood vessel linings to reduce arterial stiffness and improve blood vessel dilation. It doesn’t matter if you’re craving potato chips, tacos, or Jellybeans-a bit of chocolate will help to shut down your cravings. Neither of them will be healthier for your physical and internal health. “I think the key point is that chocolate is a wonderful treat, but it’s not really a health food,” Manson, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the chief in the division of preventive medicine at the department of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Healthline.
Chocolate contains not only calories and sugar, but also caffeine, which can contribute to restless sleep. According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, coffee and tea are usually darker in color and contain high amount of caffeine, but dark chocolate contains more caffeine than milk chocolate. A higher chocolate consumption was associated with lower levels of total and central fat, BMI, and waist circumference, regardless of other factors such as age, stage of puberty, total energy intake, amount of fruit, vegetables, tea or coffee consumed, or level of exercise.
Another study by Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that consuming dark chocolate (with a high amount of flavonols) for a period of 12 weeks can increase the number of MED, minimum amount of UVB rays required to cause skin redness. In a study involving around a thousand healthy adults, those who ate the most chocolate had a greater intake of calories over all, yet had a lower Body Mass Index at all ages and for both men and women.
A 14 year study concluded that high dietary intakes of catechins (from chocolate, fruit, vegetables, and tea) was associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in adult women, which first gave rise to the idea that chocolate polyphenols might have long-term benefits for weight maintenance. Dark chocolate also reduces weight gain through effects on insulin sensitivity, and possibly by neutralising the effects of the stress hormone, cortisol. All chocolate is not the same - milk and white chocolate don’t have the same health benefits as dark chocolate.
A lower quantity of cocoa solids and addition of milk and a large quantity of sugar hampers the overall nutritional profile of the white chocolate. Just make sure your chocolate is at least 70% cocoa solids to obtain the benefits. Though, there are other factors determining dark chocolate benefits for diabetes. If you enjoy consuming chocolate, you can be sure you’re not alone, and there are many chocolate lovers spread across the globe.
Not only could we all do with a pick-me-up after what has been a mentally and physically draining year for many, but eating or drinking chocolate could actually be better for our sleep health than originally thought. The overall results confirmed a significant blood pressure-lowering effect of both drinking cocoa (cacao) and eating dark chocolate which, overall, reduced blood pressure by an average of 3.2/1.3 mmHg compared with controls. Jodie is the Chair of Judges of the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show Chocolate Competition.
So, it’s always recommended to intake this calorie-rich food in moderation. Discover more Food Cures for your health. Don’t consume more than 40 grams (or four to six heaped teaspoons) of raw cacao a day. Don’t forget, there are plenty of chocolates available on the market, but not everyone is healthy. As long as you don’t gorge on dark chocolate, you won’t ingest too much caffeine so that it will affect your sleep.
On top of that, it can also cause a spike in blood pressure and may severely affect your sleep. In fact, it may help you relax. In fact, according to new research published in the June 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), after diabetic patients drank specially formulated high-flavanol cocoa for one month, blood vessel function went from severely impaired to normal.
What Is A Normal Cholesterol Level? Dark chocolate is higher in saturated fats and sugar that may increase your blood sugar level unexpectedly. So, if you’re suffering from an uplifted blood pressure level or sensitive to the effect of caffeine, you should either avoid consuming completely or in larger amounts, says LiveStrong. So, is it actually bad for you to indulge in dark chocolate? Unsweetened chocolate is higher in fat and calories but is comparatively more satisfying and flavorful to eat plain.
Unsweetened dark chocolate can be the best bang for your buck as it contains no fat or sugar content and is packed with valuable antioxidants. It is true that dark chocolate contains nutrients that help with sleep. Also, it’s important to choose high quality dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa solids. For a premium quality choice, always make sure that you pick the one with fewer and highly natural ingredients.