Chocolate is appreciated for a variety of reasons. Many of these reasons relate to the feel-good chemicals in chocolate, such as tryptophan, tyrosine, theobromine, and caffeine. However, the preferred chocolate is the dark type that has the highest concentration of cocoa, is rich in antioxidants, and is low in fat.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of eating a few pieces of chocolate:
mood
Eating a small bar of chocolate and following a healthy diet has the potential to improve mood. It’s a combination of the texture, smell and taste of chocolate that helps stimulate the brain and leaves you feeling good. Additionally, chocolate is rich in the essential amino acid tryptophan, which can help increase the amount of serotonin in the system. This is a natural type of antidepressant.
kind to the heart
Chocolate can help with heart health because it has an anti-inflammatory effect, thins the blood to minimize the risk of stroke, and can lower blood pressure. The main reason to benefit the heart is because of the flavonoid content. This chemical is useful for stimulating the production of nitric oxide, which relaxes and widens the blood vessels.
arterial help
Another benefit of the flavonoid content is the ability to stop the oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL). Over time, this can lead to the buildup of deposits in the artery wall, often referred to as occlusive disease. Additionally, the flavonoid content may include stearic acid, which is a unique type of saturated fat that can promote good (HDL) cholesterol.
calm the cough
The theobromine content in chocolate may influence the vagus nerve and help suppress coughing spells. The vagus nerve has the function of transmitting messages between the brain and the central nervous system.
brain health
Another type of chemical found in chocolate is epicatechin, which is useful for its ability to protect the brain from the buildup of amyloid plaques, or sticky proteins. If they are allowed to develop over time, there is a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Also, this same chemical compound can be found in green tea.
In general, to benefit from eaten chocolate, you should look for dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cocoa. Ideally, you want 70 percent cocoa chocolate to achieve the greatest benefit. Additionally, the high cocoa content means there is more flavonoid content to benefit overall health.
