Dark chocolate is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Studies show it can help reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Studies show that dark chocolate — when it is not loaded with sugar and saturated fat — is indeed a heart-healthy chocolate treat and more.
Choose brands that say 70% cacao or higher on the label. Feel free to eat dark chocolate regularly, but don't overdo it, as excess calories can cause weight gain. A small portion—just a square or two a day—will still put a smile on your face while boosting your heart health.
Chocolate is high in magnesium, which helps regulate your cardiovascular system. Antioxidants in chocolate help clear plaque out of the arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease. Flavonoids found in chocolate may lower blood pressure and improve your blood flow overall.
The cocoa solids in Lindt dark chocolate contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants that have been shown to improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, and improve blood sugar levels.
And the winner is…
Dark chocolate! Because of its lower sugar and fat content and its higher flavanol content, dark chocolate has benefits over milk chocolate. However, both should be eaten in moderation because both contain more sugar and fat than is ideal in a heart-healthy diet.
Dark chocolate is by far the healthiest form of the treat, containing the least sugar and, because of its cocoa content, higher levels of substances that protect the body's cells. If sugar is your number one concern, Allers recommends looking for higher percentages.
Research continues to point to dark chocolate as having many health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, preventing blood clots, improving memory, lowering cholesterol and even preventing some types of cancer.
White chocolate is the worst – it has more calories than milk chocolate and more sugar than dark.
Could Exceed Safe Heavy Metal Consumption. While dark chocolate can have positive effects on your health, a 2022 study by Consumer Reports found that eating dark chocolate everyday could be harmful for adults, children and pregnant people.
Dark chocolate reduces stress
Scientists have found that eating the equivalent of a medium-sized bar of dark chocolate (40 grams) per day for two weeks can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the neurohormonal hormones.
In moderation, dark chocolate is a heart-healthy chocolate
Dark chocolate is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Studies show it can help reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease.
Two chocolate bars a day could cut heart disease and strokes, a study says. Up to 100g may nearly halve the chance of dying from heart disease and cut strokes by more than a fifth. It adds up to slightly more than two regular 45g Cadbury Dairy Milk.
Heart health benefits
According to the American College of Cardiology, drinking two to three cups of coffee per day is associated with maintaining a healthy heart.
Improved Heart Health
One of the main fats in peanut butter is oleic acid. When substituted for other fats in your diet, oleic acid is shown to help maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Managing these levels in your body can lower the risk of heart disease. Peanut butter also contains omega-6.
Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.
According to health experts, consuming around 30-60 grams of dark chocolate per day is a healthy amount for most people. That's about two to four small squares of your favourite chocolate bar. Now, don't go overboard and think that just because it's “dark chocolate”, you can scoff down a whole block guilt-free.
And even though quality dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate, it is still chocolate, meaning it's high in calories and saturated fat. To avoid weight gain, Amidor recommends eating no more than 1 ounce (oz) of dark chocolate per day.
You can enjoy dark chocolates as often as you want. However, for a person who wishes to lose weight with these chocolates, dark chocolates should be eaten on an empty stomach or 30 minutes after a solid-food meal. They can also be eaten as a snack between lunch and dinner.
Dark chocolate is best for you because it's the least processed chocolate, which means it contains the highest percentage of flavonoid-filled cocoa bean (cocoa).
BelgianSHop | The Biggest Chocolate Enemies :- Humidity more than 55% - Heat above 20ºC / 68º F - Temperature fluctuations.
Dark chocolate also contains certain compounds, such as polyphenols and theobromine, that may lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the body and increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
One ounce of milk chocolate contains about 6 mg of cholesterol. This is a very small amount and is not considered to be harmful. According to a recent study, young healthy men who consume chocolate are not more likely to develop high blood cholesterol levels.
Eating dark chocolate and cocoa alone didn't appear to have a major effect on heart health, she said. “Chocolate doesn't increase cholesterol levels, but it doesn't decrease cholesterol levels either.”