Source: Google Dark Chocolate? Today chocolate is one of the world’s most beloved foods, with more than one billion people worldwide consuming some form of it every day. Chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree Theobroma. It takes approximately 400 cocoa beans to make 1 pound of chocolate. These beans are processed to a sticky, bitter paste called chocolate liquor, which consists of about 53 percent cocoa butter and 47 percent cocoa solids. The chocolate liquor is then used to create a variety of chocolate products, all varying in ratios of cocoa butter to solids, and with varying degrees of additives such as milk and sugar. Generally, chocolate is considered a part of discretionary foods that can have a negative impact on overall health, such as contributing to weight gain or making it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. But do you know that dark chocolate is actually loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health? Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet. Dark chocolate can improve our health and lower the risk of heart disease. It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium. Of course, 100 grams is a fairly large amount and not something you should be consuming daily. All these nutrients also come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar. For this reason, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation. The fatty acid profile of cocoa and dark chocolate is also excellent. The fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fat. It also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, but is unlikely to keep you awake at night as the amount of caffeine is very small compared to coffee. Powerful Source of Antioxidants Other than that, dark chocolate has ORAC. ORAC stands for “oxygen radical absorbance capacity.” It is a measure of the antioxidant activity of foods. Basically, researchers set a bunch of free radicals against a sample of a food and see how well the antioxidants in the food can "disarm" the radicals. The biological relevance of ORAC values is questioned, because it is measured in a test tube and may not have the same effect in the body. However, it is worth mentioning that raw, unprocessed cocoa beans are among the highest-scoring foods that have been tested. Dark chocolate is loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. These include polyphenols, flavanols and catechins, among others. Cocoa and dark chocolate had more antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavanols than any other fruits tested, which included blueberries and acai berries. May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure The flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the endothelium, the lining of arteries, to produce nitric oxide. One of the functions of nitric oxide is to send signals to the arteries to relax, which lowers the resistance to blood flow and therefore reduces blood pressure. A study conducted by Miken stated that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, though the effects are usually mild. However, people with high blood pressure showed no effect, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Raises HDL and Protects LDL Consuming dark chocolate can also improve several important risk factors for heart disease. Cocoa powder was found to significantly decrease oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in men. It also increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) and lowered total LDL for those with high cholesterol. Oxidized LDL means that the LDL has reacted with free radicals. This makes the LDL particle itself reactive and capable of damaging other tissues, such as the lining of the arteries in your heart. It makes perfect sense that cocoa lowers oxidized LDL. It contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants that do make it into the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative damage. Dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for many diseases like heart disease and diabetes. May Reduce Heart Disease Risk Source: Google The compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly protective against the oxidation of LDL. In the long term, this should cause much less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease. In fact, several long-term observational studies show a fairly drastic improvement. Based on a study conducted by Dr Alan Grenberg stated that cocoa was found to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by a whopping 50% over a 15-year period and revealed that eating chocolate two or more times per week lowered the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%. May Protect Your Skin from the Sun Then, the bioactive compounds in dark chocolate may also be great for your skin. The flavanols can protect against sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin and increase skin density and hydration. The minimal erythemal dose (MED) is the minimum amount of ultraviolet B (UVB) rays required to cause redness in the skin 24 hours after exposure. Could Improve Brain Function Source: Google The good news isn't over yet. Dark chocolate may also improve the function of your brain. Cocoa may also significantly improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. It may improve verbal fluency and several risk factors for disease, as well. Additionally, cocoa contains stimulant substances like caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key reason why it can improve brain function in the short term. To conclude, there is considerable evidences that cocoa can provide powerful health benefits, being especially protective against heart disease. Of course, this does not mean we should go all out and consume lots of chocolate every day. It is still loaded with calories and easy to overeat. Maybe have a square or two after dinner and try to really savour them. If you want the benefits of cocoa without the calories in chocolate, consider making a hot cocoa without any cream or sugar. There's no wrong way to eat chocolate until we choose the best nutritious chocolate. FUN FACT
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AuthorNurul Syaza Nabiha binti Hasbullah |