Food | The bright side of dark chocolate

If you cannot survive without that little square of chocolate each night, health experts recommend opting for the darker varieties. But what is so beneficial about dark chocolate?

When a sugar craving hits you, it is easy to just quickly consume any old bar of chocolate that happens to be lying around.

We know it’s the wrong thing to eat but when that need for chocolate hits, you need to satisfy it! Dark chocolate, as we are consistently told by health experts, is the best option. Loaded with nutrients, it can have a positive impact on your health. But what else does it offer?

When you buy chocolate that has a high cocoa content, it can be highly nutritious. It has a good amount of soluble fibre, magnesium and iron while the fat content is mostly saturated and monosaturated.

Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants, and considerably more than most other foods.  Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells – in other words, this is all good for your body. 

A number of studies have shown that cocoa and dark chocolate can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, but the effects can be mild.

Other research has shown that dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate is also known to help reduce the risk of stroke.

These small but delicious squares of chocolate also contain several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health.

Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes. As it has a low glycemic index, it won’t cause huge spikes in blood sugar level.

From a young age, we have all been told that eating lots of chocolate can lead to the loss of our lovely teeth. However, dark chocolate contains theobromine which has been shown to harden tooth enamel. That means that it lowers your risk of getting cavities if you practice proper dental hygiene.

All of this may make you want to feast on lots of chocolate but moderation, as always, is key.