I’ve never met someone who can say no to chocolate. You can literally find it in any store or shop, and there are endless options. We all have our go-to favorite kind. Luckily for us, chocolate lover’s month is a time where we can all give in to our indulgences and not feel bad about eating a little extra *dark* chocolate.
Even though we all have our preferences, we’re going to focus on the benefits of dark chocolate right now, as it contains more cacao, less sugar and less fat. Aim to find chocolate that is at least 70% cacao to get health benefits!
Need an Excuse?
- Antioxidants: These bad boys basically go throughout your body and have the potential to stop free radicals (these are typically viewed as harmful to the body). Dark chocolate with higher percentages of cocoa has higher levels of antioxidants.
- Nutrients: Believe it or not, there’s actually a decent amount of minerals and nutrients in dark chocolate. For example, you can find fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, and potassium. I didn’t even know dark chocolate had all these nutrients till I started looking into it!
- Heart Health: This goes somewhat hand-in-hand with the antioxidants and nutrients. The more of these two things, the more positive effects on your heart, according to the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.
- Mood Boost: You don’t just feel good because you’re eating something delicious! The Journal of Nutrition Review published a study that found eating dark chocolate that is 70% had positive effects on memory, cognition, and mood.
With all this good news, I’m sure you can find an excuse to indulge a little more this month (I know I can!). However, it’s important to remember that everything is “good for you” in moderation.
Now, enough reading–go enjoy some chocolate!
Written by GUADS staff member Toni with contributions from www.harvard.edu and www.healthline.com
Art: Medicine For Your Brain