2015-11-13
Joybynature.com Team
Nov
13


Everyone knows that chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. After a long day at work, it is the ideal stress buster, after a depressing fight with a loved one it comforts better than anyone else can. However, we all feel guilty about indulging in chocolate from time to time. There was that diet or maybe we had simply promised to cut back. If it’s not a chocolate binge that you are feeling guilty about, then maybe there isn’t a lot of cause for worry.

Good, organic chocolate with above 70 percentage of cocoa has been found to have a lot of health benefits. If what you’re eating is organic chocolate then it’s even better. Recent studies have shown that even milk chocolate has valuable nutrients, and so it’s not only dark chocolate squares that you can munch on guilt-free.

Why prefer organic chocolate?

Why is it that everyone is raving about organic chocolate all of a sudden? There are multiple benefits to eating organic chocolate as opposed to regular chocolate. Regular chocolate has a high pesticide content that is not the case when it comes to organic chocolate. By following environment-friendly and pesticide-free farming methods, organic chocolate saves you from the adverse effects caused by ingesting pesticides.

Also, organic chocolate is almost always fair-trade which means that farmers get fair wages for their contribution to the production of the chocolate. Did we need another reason to feel good about eating chocolate?

What are the health benefits of eating chocolate?

There are many benefits to eating chocolate including a large number of nutrients present and the benefits it provides towards improving blood flow and reducing the risk of heart disease. The top five health benefits of eating organic chocolate are listed below.

  1. Chocolate is chock-full of nutrients and antioxidants

Organic chocolate is full of soluble fibres, and minerals line iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium and zinc. Not to mention powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavanols that are super-efficient in getting rid of free radicals that are harmful to your body’s well-being. The fats present in chocolates are also mostly saturated and monounsaturated fats that are safe to consume.

  1. Chocolate helps to improve your blood flow

Chocolate stimulates the inner linings of the arteries to produce nitrous oxide (NO) which is a gas that sends signals to the brain to help the arteries relax. This may help in improving blood flow by lowering resistance against blood flow and thereby reduces the blood pressure.

 

 

  1. Chocolate may help increase cognitive function

In line with the reasoning given above, chocolate helps to increase the rate of blood flow in the body. An improved blood flow to the brain can help to improve the cognitive function especially in the case of elderly persons with impaired brain function. Also, the presence of stimulants in chocolate such as caffeine and the obromine in small quantities helps to improve brain function in the short term.

  1. Chocolate is good for your skin

The bio active components in chocolate such as Flavanol are also good for your skin. They help to protect against sun-induced damage and improve the blood flow to the surface of the skin when consumed over a long period. These bio active compounds also help to improve skin hydration and skin density.

 

  1. Eating chocolate reduces your risk of heart disease

Most importantly, consuming good quality organic dark chocolate, which you can purchase from hereis proven to reduce your risk of suffering from a cardiovascular disease in the long term. The antioxidants in dark chocolate prevent the oxidation of LDL, and this causes a lot less cholesterol to clog the arteries in the long term. Consuming chocolate also helps to raise the HDL levels in the blood and also helps to improve insulin sensitivity.

So there you have it. Five healthy excuses to munch on your favourite comfort food, in moderation, of course! You can begin shopping for the healthy kind of chocolate right here by clicking this link.

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