5 Benefits of Chocolate You May Have Missed
Chocolate is an excellent antioxidant.
The oxygen we breathe allows our organs to function but simultaneously triggers the production of a large number of free radicals that attack the structures of the body. Cocoa contains a large amount of antioxidant substances that trap or neutralize free radicals responsible for oxidation.
These are some examples of comparison between the antioxidant properties of cocoa and that of other products:
- Black tea: 4 to 5 times higher,
- Green tea: 2 to 3 times higher,
- Wine: twice as high.
The flavonoids and minerals (zinc, manganese, copper) contained in cocoa are particularly active.
Chocolate lowers blood pressure
Consuming 6 grams of dark chocolate, approximately two squares, would reduce blood pressure, according to a recent German study published in the journal Jama.
According to the results, this level of consumption would lower systolic pressure (the first digit) by three points and diastolic pressure (the second digit) by two points on average.
The study involved 44 adults between 56 and 73 years old and whose average pressure was equal to 147/86. After a diet of 18 weeks, with 6 grams of dark chocolate per day, people in this group have experienced a significant drop in blood pressure. Their susceptibility to high blood pressure was reduced from 86% to 68%. That was not the case for the “control” group that was offered polyphenol-free white chocolate.
According to the authors of the study, this result of dark chocolate would be linked to the strong presence of antioxidant polyphenols.
Chocolate has an anti-stress effect
Dark and milk chocolates contain, respectively, 112 mg and 60 mg of magnesium per 100 g.
To combat stress and anxiety, there is nothing better than increasing your magnesium intake. Numerous studies confirm that this mineral is an important element in preventing the negative consequences of stress and has a great capacity to achieve substantial reductions in plasma cortisol levels in the blood.
Magnesium deficiency leads to a loss of energy. This lack can be felt in many different ways: exhaustion, chronic fatigue, fatigue on exertion… Lack of energy often has psychological consequences because it generates anxiety. When you feel good, you have more confidence in yourself and, if problems arise, you have the energy to face them.
Several studies have also shown that a diet rich in magnesium reduces the chance of having a heart attack, helps lower blood pressure, and decreases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, a diet rich in magnesium could have a beneficial effect on the prevention and development of osteoporosis in menopausal women.
Chocolate is healthy during pregnancy
According to a study in the journal Epidemiology, chocolate would protect women during pregnancy. Eating a good dark chocolate every day would reduce the risk of developing preeclampsia, a complication of high blood pressure, by 69%.
The study, conducted by researchers at Yale University, was conducted on a cohort of 2,291 pregnant women between 1996 and 2000. Scientists have estimated their chocolate consumption primarily by measuring theobromine levels in the umbilical cord. This cocoa component is particularly present in dark chocolate. The conclusions of the report show that theobromine concentration is associated with a lower risk of pre-eclampsia.
Chocolate is good for cholesterol.
The blood carries cholesterol in the blood vessels. Proteins are responsible for this operation. Some of them carry cholesterol to the liver where it is used for digestion: this is the good cholesterol. Other poorly programmed proteins tend to back cholesterol: this is the bad cholesterol that can clog your arteries.
Chocolate and cocoa can protect the body against bad cholesterol. Thanks to its flavonoids with antioxidant properties, they reduce bad cholesterol levels and favor the production of good cholesterol. The vitamin B3 contained in chocolate also helps reduce clogging of the arteries.