Chocolate: the Bitter the Better?

Chocolate: the Bitter the Better?

There is one permanent source of joy that changes your mood, your appetite, helps forgive, and fights all your battles in a day — chocolate does wonders to people of any age! But is this craze healthy? The answer depends on which chocolate you choose.

The Calorie Reality

A single bar of milk chocolate or a chocolate-filled treat can cost a lot in calories — a Starbucks Chocolate Cake packs 700 calories, a McDonald’s Chocolate Milkshake 703, and a Snickers 511. There is a way around it though: the Bitter, the Better. Dark chocolate has so many health benefits that it’s literally a sin not to eat one.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

• Heart health: Flavanols in dark chocolate contain antioxidant properties that make your vascular system more flexible. One square per day has been linked to a 39% reduced risk of heart attack and stroke

• Insulin sensitivity: Flavanols help your body manage and process insulin by boosting nitric oxide production

• Satiety: Dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods

• Cognitive ability: Flavanols encourage blood flow to the brain, with studies showing greater cognitive ability in people who consume flavanol-rich foods regularly

• Stress reduction: Regular consumption of dark chocolate can reduce stress hormones and keep your metabolic meter in check

• Mood lift: Cocoa consumption lifts mood and mental function through natural chemical compounds that positively affect “feel good” brain receptors

How Much Chocolate?

“Chocolate may be beneficial, but it should be eaten in a moderate way, not in large quantities and not in binges. If it is consumed in large quantities, any beneficial effect is going to disappear.” — Dr Oscar Franco, Department of Public Health and Primary Care

All things are good in moderation. Dark chocolate does help you stay healthy and happy — one must still avoid binge eating to let it retain its exotic balance.