If you have always loved eating dark chocolate, then this read is definitely going to make your heart feel happy! Or let’s just begin by giving a round of applause to those scientists who have been working hard in proving that Dark Chocolate can help you live longer. Oh yes, you heard that right, there are scientists out there who are proving that our favorite food indulgences like dark chocolate help us live a much longer and healthier life. And if you have always been in search of an excuse to eat chocolate, then this fact will help you achieve it, and of course, it’s going to be one of those most valid excuses of all time.
Our relationship with chocolate is quite eternal, isn’t it? Chocolate has been our best friend when it comes to sweet cravings and we all resonate with that since the oldest memory of us eating chocolate for the first time. We have memories of when our parents lured us with chocolates, and we did the same to our friends (giggles). Not one person in this world can tell that they have a bad memory associated with chocolate ever, agree or not? the entire world loves chocolate.
All kinds of chocolates are known to be rich in antioxidants and they also come packed with nutrients which is why chocolates make for a great superfood favorite especially the bittersweet dark chocolate variation of chocolate. Certain phytonutrients called flavonoids are present in dark chocolate – these are nothing but plant chemicals that adorn the heart of antioxidants and play a major role in the prevention of cancer, improves heart health, and promote weight loss. And these are facts that have been published in several journals related to nutritional science. We all know that dark chocolate is derived from the cacao plant. And that it is a process where the chocolate is derived from certain compounds called Theobromine. Several cookbook authors have also claimed that eating dark chocolate helps in lowering BP levels and also reduces inflammation inside our body. Coco is a powerhouse of numerous antioxidants which is in fact more than what green tea or red wine would have in it. In fact the darker you go with the dark chocolate the more strong the powerhouse of antioxidants you will find but we need to remember that we need to strike a balance between eating palatable dark chocolate and enjoying the health benefits that come along with it.
How Much Of Dark Chocolate Should You Eat To Live Longer?
If you are someone who is in or without chocolate you will be aware of the numerous researches that have been conducted to understand the health benefits that this chocolate provides and how it improves the health or how it reduces inclination in a body or how it promotes weight loss. While the husband fits of dark chocolate might look like a bonus for you to justify the chocolate addiction that you might have, we need to understand that we still need to know our limit when it comes to eating dark chocolate. Here are a couple of things you need to keep in mind before you completely indulge in dark chocolate for longer life. Read on.
The Flavanol Element
The most amazing benefit of eating chocolate is connected with the higher concentration of cocoa which includes flavanols. Let’s say it is a form of a flavonoid. We all know that flavanols are nothing but antioxidants and it mops up the damaging free radicals which are produced by the cells during metabolism in our body. They are also known to reduce the body’s resistance to insulin, it also helps keep a blood vessel’s elasticity intact thereby reducing the blood pressure. But did you know that flag and also has the threat of being destroyed while processing chocolate? This is precisely why some researchers recommend that we need to eat less processed chocolate to reap the benefits of flavonoids. Therefore always opt for less processed dark chocolate to live a longer life.
How Much Of Chocolate Is Needed To Lengthen Life
Eating chocolates can certainly have a lot of advantages, but this very quality of goodness chocolates leads to the rise of questions as to how much chocolate is beneficial and how much is not. We need to remember that we should not overindulge in eating junk dark chocolate as it could cancel out all the positive health benefits that it comes with. Several types of research are underway to suggest a particular number of grams or ounces of dark chocolate that we must consume in a day, but the results of these researches are pending. Some studies suggest that people who ate 6 g of chocolate on an average per day were recorded to have a 39% lesser risk of falling prey to a heart attack or a stroke. This is very little chocolate per day, if you want to imagine it right then it is just half of the typical square of 100 g dark chocolate bar that we come across.
How Often Can We Eat Dark Chocolate
Several studies have been conducted to understand the relationship between eating dark chocolate and increase the longevity of life – while most of the studies have focused on how often should one be eating chocolate rather than how much amount of chocolate needs to be eaten. One such research conducted in the year 2011 talks about involving nearly 114 thousand subjects from across Asia, North America, Europe have found that 37% lower chances of getting cardiovascular disease, or 31% lesser chances prone to diabetes, and a 29% lesser chances in falling prey to a stroke among other subjects who eat chocolate nearly twice a week. This was one of the reviews submitted by the University of Cambridge, And here all forms of chocolates were included including chocolate rings, chocolate snacks, chocolate bars and there was no distinguishment between dark chocolate or milk chocolate.
Remember That: It’s Not Much And Not Too Often That Is Just Right
Despite several types of research confirming that eating dark chocolate does help one to live longer, these very researches also want us against consuming more than the required amount of energy dense food like dark chocolate.
Health Benefits Of Eating Dark Chocolate
Let’s look at a list of the overall health benefits that dark chocolate provides us with.
- Chocolate helps prevent heart disease and also lowers any risk of stroke: One of the biggest advantages of eating dark chocolate and according to several types of research is that dark chocolate helps in improving the heart health of our body.
- Eating chocolate helps boost positive mood, keeps memory loss at bay, and improves cognition capabilities: It is true, eating higher concentrations of dark chocolate can boost your brainpower by large folds. Chocolate is known to stimulate the neural activity in those areas of the brain which are associated with reward and pleasure, this helps decrease stress and boost your mood. The presence of flavonoids and dark chocolate also helps in improving brain health, it also leads to cognitive enhancement thereby helping the brain in terms of memory and learning.
- Dark chocolate can improve blood sugar levels and also reduce the risk of diabetes: we know what you might be thinking, eating chocolate every single day is certainly not one of the best ways to prevent diabetes, isn’t it? However, studies have shown it differently — eating healthy amounts of dark chocolate that is rich in cocoa helps improve the metabolism of our body and how it materializes glucose. However, there is a lack of evidence when it comes to studies and researches to prove this point.
- Chocolate boosts gut health and helps with weight loss: several types of research have suggested that eating dark chocolate can help in controlling appetite and this, in turn, can eat weight loss. Eating a small piece of dark chocolate right before or after your means triggers the hormones that start signaling out your brain that you are full.
- It promotes cancer prevention by fighting free radicals: There is certainly a lack of evidence to show that dark chocolate contains certain properties that protect people of certain age groups from cancer however the amount of evidence has been growing. The antioxidants present in dark chocolate protect us from any kind of damage that can be done by free radicals; for those who don’t know free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that are mainly responsible for diseases and aging that occur in our body.
So, now you know that eating dark chocolate can certainly increase your longevity on this planet Earth.