Successful Weight Loss

9 Great Boosts For Your Health From Dark Chocolate

By Justin French


1. Recent studies have shown a reduction in the risk of getting cardiovascular disease in those who regularly ate dark chocolate. In those susceptible to Alzheimer's, diabetes and stroke a 50% reduction in risk was reported.

2. Thickening of the blood can lead to clots which, in turn, can lead to stroke. However, it seems that the bacteria in your gut can break down dark chocolate into ant-inflammatory compounds which thin the blood lessening the chances of stroke.

3. 20 different studies have shown that eating dark chocolate everyday decreased participant's blood pressure by 2 to 3 points. It seems to encourage the arterial lining to produce Nitric Oxide which relaxes the arteries and reduces the pressure of the blood.

4. You don't have to be elderly or sick to get these benefits either. Young, healthy men in their 20's who ate a small square of dark chocolate daily had some 14% to 23% increased blood flow.

5. Eating dark chocolate can increase the HDL or good cholesterol in your blood, thus lowering any bad cholesterol (LDL).

6. Insulin sensitivity in diabetics, and even non-diabetics showed improvement upon consumption of dark chocolate.

7. Imagine a candy that could improve the state of your teeth! Well a substance in dark chocolate called Theobromine has been shown to harden tooth enamel.

8. Your skin could be protected from sun damage by the flavonols you consume in dark chocolate.

9. Again, the flavonols in 70% dark chocolate have been shown to improve blood flow - this time to the brain. Another substance, phenylethylamine, helps release 'feel good' hormones in the brain helping you feel relaxed and happy.

Choosing The Right Chocolate For Best Results

70% cocoa chocolate is what you're looking for, not milky mars bars. These don't contain sufficient cocoa solids to achieve the above results.




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