Surprising Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

As a dedicated chocolate lover and consumer, is there anything better than learning about all the marvellous health benefits of dark chocolate? In the down below, we have listed five of our favourite facts about dark chocolate and the wonders it can do to your mind and body - get ready to be amazed! 

1. A powerful source of nutrients & antioxidants

Dark chocolate is made from the beans sourced from cocoa trees. It is globally renowned for being one of the best sources of antioxidants and nutrients while possessing plenty of incredible health benefits. For example, 100 grams of 70-80% dark chocolate contains 11 grams of fibre and 67% of RDI for iron! Sound pretty amazing, right? In turn, antioxidants’ purpose is to neutralise free radicals in your body and prevent oxidative stress, which refers to the damage that free radicals can develop to your body over time, causing diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

2. Beneficial to your heart health

Let’s carry on to the next one, as the surprising health benefits of dark chocolate aren’t over! There have been many conducted studies investigating the relation between dark chocolate and human heart health. The studies have indicated many potential beneficial effects when consuming a moderate amount of dark chocolate two to five times a week. These effects are, for instance, a lowered risk of getting a heart-related disease, improved blood flow and reduced high blood pressure. This is due to the flavanols found in dark chocolate, which stimulate and enhances the nitric oxide production within the body. The nitric oxide then causes blood vessels to dilate, resulting in improved blood flow and lower pressure. 

3. Acts as a mood booster

You might already be familiar with the so-called “happy hormone” serotonin. It is a proper mood booster and one of the most important ones that your body can create. The production process in your body starts from a chemical called phenethylamine, which can be indulged, for example, through the dark chocolate. We must say, it is yet another good reason to enjoy a piece or two of our finest dark chocolates infused with the serene Nordic happiness… 

4. Protects your skin

Especially during the hot summer months, your skin needs some extra protection from the harmful UVA and UVB rays. Some studies have shown that the flavonols which can improve the blood flow, as we already mentioned before, can also protect the skin from the sun damage. Of course, enjoying dark chocolate is not going to provide you with the complete protection that your skin needs, but can be an excellent addition to your diet. 

5. Improves brain function

 

We have already gone through four incredible health-benefits of dark chocolate, and now it is the time for last and maybe the most surprising one! It has been investigated that eating dark chocolate might improve brain function and help to prevent many neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s- and Alzheimer’s disease. The studies show that the higher the percentage of raw cocoa in the dark chocolate, the better the impact on your memory, reaction time, problem solving and other cognitive skills. So next, when having a difficult task at hand, it wouldn’t be at a bad idea at all to have a few bites of our exciting dark chocolates


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