It's good for you. Dark chocolate is good in moderation. Just remember to stick to the 86% high quality dark chocolate. I prefer the bars sweetened with stevia. Regular milk chocolate has too much sugar with less cacao. No, you can't have the whole bar, but 1/3 or 20-30 grams won't hurt you. Yes, that's the daily limit because it is usually high in sweetener and fat that makes it a calorie dense food.
I've enjoyed Lily's, Black's , and Ghirardelli brands of dark chocolate. You can even use the Ghirardelli dark chocolate cocoa powder in cooking, but that's a different article for another day. Let's just look at why dark chocolate is good for you... It is full of antioxidants that neutralize free radical and prevent oxidative stress on cells and tissues in the body. This can contribute to natural aging as well as the development of several diseases like:
- heart disease - diabetes
- Parkinson's disease - cancer
- Alzheimer's disease - eye disease
Dark chocolate's high level of cacao determines the amount of flavanols. These flavanols give it such good health benefits, like it:
- is high in antioxidants.
- is rich in mineral such as iron, magnesium, and zinc.
- may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.
- has anti-inflammatory effect to reduce inflammation in the body.
- may help with improved Insulin resistance.
- may reduce a person's risk of heart disease because flavanols lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
- could improve brain function and help prevent Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Source: "What are the health benefits of dark chocolate?"
Medical News Today 03/19/2019
So Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy your Halloween chocolate. I usually get my bars at the local Ingles. The price on Amazon is better if you are planning to start cooking with cocoa. I've added a link below, if you'd like to check it out. Please like, comment, and subscribe to HealthWorx.info to stay up to date on weekly recipes and articles. Enjoy and don't forget to celebrate the small wins.
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