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7 THE PROVEN BENEFITS OF DARK CHOCOLATE


Benefits of dark chocolate. How it affects your skin and overall health


INNA CODRU , OCTOBER 26, 2018









Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can have a positive effect on your entire body. Not so long ago we posted an article about the benefits of RED WINE , now it's time to talk about the benefits of dark chocolate.


Produced from the seeds of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.


Research shows that dark chocolate (rather than the sweet imitation of chocolate) can provide invaluable benefits to the skin, such as when used as a face mask ( MASK RECIPE below ). Heavy chocolate helps to improve the health of internal organs, on which the condition of the hair and skin depends, and it will also help reduce the risk of heart disease.



1. DARK CHOCOLATE IS VERY RICH IN USEFUL SUBSTANCES



If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is really very healthy.


This chocolate contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and a whole range of minerals that are beneficial to the body.


100g dark chocolate bar (70-85% cocoa) contains (1):


  • 11 g fiber.

  • 67% of the recommended daily intake of iron.

  • 58% of the recommended daily allowance for magnesium.

  • 89% of the recommended daily allowance for copper.

  • 98% of the recommended daily allowance for manganese.

  • It also contains large amounts of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.


Of course, 100 grams is a pretty decent amount, and does not mean that you should consume this amount of chocolate (even such a healthy one) daily. After all, 100 grams of chocolate, among other things, contains about 600 calories and some sugar.


For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation.


The set of cocoa fatty acids in dark chocolate is excellent. Fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with a small amount of polyunsaturated.


Dark chocolate also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, but it's unlikely you'll be awake at night as the amount of caffeine is very, very low compared to coffee.


NOTE TO YOURSELF: Quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and several important minerals.







2. DARK CHOCOLATE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS


Have you ever heard of the oxygen uptake ratio, ORAC?


ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. This is one of the indicators of foods related to antioxidant activity.


Basically, the researchers, in their experiments, use a bunch of free radicals (yes, yes, exactly those that are so often warned about in medical articles) on samples of certain foods and monitor how well the antioxidants in these foods can “disarm” them.


The biological significance of this indicator is questioned because it is done in a test tube and may not have the same effect in the body.


However, I think it's worth mentioning that raw, unprocessed cocoa beans have one of the highest(!) ORAC ratios of any product that has been tested to date.


Dark chocolate is brimming with organic compounds that are biologically active and act as antioxidants. These include, for example, polyphenols, flavanols, catechins.


One study found that cocoa and dark chocolate contained more antioxidant activity, polyphenols, and flavanols than other fruits they tested, including blueberries and acai berries.2).


NOTE TO YOURSELF: Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide spectrum of powerful antioxidants, far more than other foods.



3. DARK CHOCOLATE HELPS IMPROVE BLOOD CIRCULATION AND REGULATE BLOOD PRESSURE



The flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the walls of the arteries, to produce nitric oxide (NO) in a gaseous state(3).


One of the functions of NO is to signal the arteries to relax, which reduces resistance to blood flow and therefore lowers blood pressure.


There are already many different studies showing that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure, and these effects are usually mild (4, 5, 6, 7).


However, there is also one study in people with high blood pressure that showed no effect, so it is likely that this effect does not occur in all people (8).


NOTE TO YOURSELF: The bioactive compounds in cocoa can improve blood circulation in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure.





4. DARK CHOCOLATE RAISE HDL AND PROTECT LDL AGAINST OXIDATION



Dark chocolate consumption may improve several important risk factors for heart disease.


In a controlled trial, cocoa powder was found to significantly reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol in men.


It also increased HDL and lowered total LDL in men with high cholesterol(!)(9).


Oxidized LDL means that LDL ("bad" cholesterol) interacts with free radicals.


This makes the LDL particles reactive, that is, capable of destroying other tissues... like the walls of the arteries in the heart.


It is clear that cocoa reduces oxidized LDL. It contains a variety of powerful antioxidants that enter the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins from oxidative damage. 10, 11, 12)


Dark chocolate can also lower the body's resistance to insulin, which is another common risk factor for many diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.13, 14)


NOTE TO YOURSELF: Dark chocolate improves several important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It also reduces the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative damage, while increasing HDL ("good" cholesterol) and improves insulin sensitivity.



5. DARK CHOCOLATE HELPS YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE



The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be excellent at protecting the body from LDL oxidation.


In the long run, this should cause much less cholesterol to build up on the walls of the arteries. It follows that we should see a correspondingly lower chance of heart disease in the long term.


It turns out that at the time of writing, there are several long-term observational studies in the world that show a rather dramatic improvement in heart health when eating cocoa beans.


In a study of 470 older men, cocoa was found to reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 50% over 15 years.15).


Another study showed that eating chocolate 2 or more times a week reduced the risk of calcification in the arteries by 32%. Eating chocolate less frequently did not have this effect. 16).


Another study showed that eating moderate doses of chocolate 5 or more times a week reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 57% (17).


Of course, these 3 studies are so-called observational studies (not experimental) and cannot prove with high accuracy that it was chocolate that caused the reduction in this risk.


However, given that we have a specific biological mechanism for the effects of cocoa (lowering blood pressure and oxidized LDL), it can be considered plausible that regular and moderate (!) consumption of dark chocolate can actually reduce the risk of heart disease.


NOTE TO YOURSELF: Observational studies show a dramatic reduction in the risk of heart disease, over the long term, for people who regularly consume moderate amounts of dark chocolate.



6. DARK CHOCOLATE CAN PROTECT YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN



The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be good for your skin. This happens both when using chocolate in the form of masks, and when using dark chocolate inside.


Flavonols can protect against sun-induced UV damage, improve blood flow to the skin, and increase skin firmness and hydration.18).


The Minimum Erythemal Dose (MED) is the minimum amount of UVB rays required to cause skin redness 24 hours after sun exposure.


In one study of 30 people, MED more than doubled(!) after eating dark chocolate high in flavanols for 12 weeks(19).


If you're planning a beach vacation, consider buying a few dark chocolate bars and consuming them (not bigoted 😃, I know how it is 😄😄😄) for a couple of months before your trip.


NOTE TO YOURSELF: Studies show that cocoa flavanols can improve blood flow to the skin and protect it from sun damage.



7. DARK CHOCOLATE WILL HELP IMPROVE BRAIN FUNCTION



The good news isn't over yet. Dark chocolate also helps improve brain function.


One study in several healthy volunteers found that 5 days of high flavanol cocoa improved blood flow to the brain.20).


Cocoa can also significantly improve cognitive function in older adults with neurological disorders. It also improves fluency (of note to those who have to talk a lot at work) and reduces some risks of brain disease ( 21).


Cocoa also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key reason why cocoa can improve brain function in the short term (22).



AND FINALLY



There is considerable evidence that cocoa can provide powerful support for your health, especially by protecting against cardiovascular disease.


But, of course, this does not mean that you have to gather your strength and start consuming a lot of chocolate every day (as much as you would like to 😄). It is still very high in calories and if you overdo it, then there will be no benefit. Maybe one or two slices after dinner (the chocolate bar usually breaks into very manageable chunks😄) . Try to really enjoy just that much.


Keep in mind that most of the chocolate sold in market stores (milk, white, etc.) is sweet, absolutely useless and even harmful. Choose quality material - organic, dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or higher.


Dark chocolates often contain some sugar, meaning they are not as sweet. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar it will contain.


Of course, there are other benefits of chocolate that I haven't mentioned... such as its amazing taste.




CHOCOLATE MASK RECIPE


Melt 20-30g of dark chocolate in a water (or steam) bath, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, stir the mixture and let it cool. After that, apply the mask on the previously cleansed face. Wash off with warm, clean water after 8-17 minutes.





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SOURCES and MATERIALS used in the article:



  1. “Nutrition facts label for Candies, chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids“.  United States Department of Agriculture, USDA. Jun. 2016
  2. “Cacao seeds are a "Super Fruit": A comparative analysis of various fruit powders and products“.  Chemistry Central Journal. May 2011
  3. “How do dietary flavanols improve vascular function?  A position paper. Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany. 2008 Aug
  4. “Effects of Low Habitual Cocoa Intake on Blood Pressure and Bioactive Nitric Oxide".  University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD. 2007 Jul.
  5. “Effects of chocolate, cocoa, and flavan-3-ols on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials“.  Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom. Mar 2012
  6. “Effect of Cocoa and Tea Intake on Blood Pressure“.  University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD. 2007 Apr.
  7. “Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans“.  Departments of Medicine and Radiology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Dec 2003
  8. Growing Pains in Cardiovascular Genetics.  Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville. USA. 2018 Oct.
  9. “Plasma LDL and HDL cholesterol and oxidized LDL concentrations are altered in normo- and hypercholesterolemic humans after intake of different levels of cocoa powder.”  Food and Health R&D Laboratories, Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd, Saitama, Japan. Jun. 2007
  10. “Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans.”  Graduate Program in Nutrition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. Nov. 2001
  11. “Epicatechin in Human Plasma: In Vivo Determination and Effect of Chocolate Consumption on Plasma Oxidation Status“.  The American Society for Nutritional Sciences. 2000 Aug.
  12. “Daily cocoa intake reduces the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein to oxidation as demonstrated in healthy human volunteers“.  Functional Food Research and Development laboratory, Japan. May 2000
  13. “Blood Pressure Is Reduced and Insulin Sensitivity Increased in Glucose-Intolerant, Hypertensive Subjects after 15 Days of Consuming High-Polyphenol Dark Chocolate“.  Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L'Aquila, Italy. September 2008.
  14. “Cocoa Reduces Blood Pressure and Insulin Resistance and Improves Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation in Hypertensives“.  Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L'Aquila, Italy. 2005 Jul.
  15. “Cocoa intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular mortality: the Zutphen Elderly Study“.  Center for Nutrition and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, and Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Feb. 2006
  16. “Chocolate consumption is inversely associated with calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries: The NHLBI Family Heart Study“  Brigham & Women Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. May 2010
  17. “Chocolate consumption is inversely associated with prevalent coronary heart disease: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study.”  Brigham & Women Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. 2011 Apr.
  18. “Long-term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa provides photoprotection against UV-induced erythema and improves skin condition in women.”  Institut für Experimentelle Dermatologie, Universität Witten-Herdecke, Germany. Jun. 2006
  19. “Eating chocolate can significantly protect the skin from UV light.”  Cosmetic Science Group, School of Management and Science, London University of the Arts, London, UK. 2009 Oct.
  20. “The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people.”  Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, University of Nottingham, UK. 2006 Apr.
  21. “Identifying Novel Gene Variants in Coronary Artery Disease and Shared Genes With Several Cardiovascular Risk Factors.”  Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. 2015 Oct.
  22. “Methylxanthines are the psycho-pharmacologically active constituents of chocolate.”  Department of Experimental Psychology University of Bristol, UK. May 2004






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