You’re not alone if you describe your relationship with chocolate as “complicated.” Approximately 45 percent of women in the United States report having chocolate cravings, with 91 percent of female college students claiming regular cravings. According to research, unlike men, many women experience feelings of guilt when eating this potentially “forbidden” food, or they resist the urge to eat it at all. This strained connection with chocolate can be detrimental in several ways. Nutritionists describe how eating chocolate can benefit your health as well as your taste buds.
Why You Should Change Your Perception on Chocolate
According to a 2014 study, women who associated eating chocolate cake with celebration were more likely to maintain their weight, whereas those who associated it with guilt were more likely to experience a variety of problems, including:
- Long-term and short-term weight maintenance success rates are lower
- Feelings of helplessness and loss of control
- Eating habits that are unhealthy
- Greater body image dissatisfaction
- Reduced quality of life
The key to reversing the negative effects of chocolate cravings is to stop making it a taboo subject. You don’t have to feel guilty about craving a food, whether it’s chocolate or broccoli. According to experts, labeling any food as completely off-limits usually results in increased cravings for that food and guilt when you eventually do eat it.
Instead, try outlining some ground rules for your relationship with chocolate. Without guilt, savor and enjoy it with purpose and intention. Don’t sit in front of the TV with your hand in a bottomless bowl of chocolate candies. Instead, be mindful of when and why you are eating it. For example, if you eat a square of dark chocolate every day and have weekend plans at a restaurant that serves a world-famous chocolate dessert, you might skip your daily treat so you can indulge on the weekend. A healthy relationship with chocolate allows you to enjoy it in moderation and guilt-free, rather than cycling between trying to avoid it completely and then overdoing it.
Health Benefits of Chocolate, Specifically Dark
A healthy connection with all foods is essential for your mind and body. However, starting or developing a balanced relationship with dark chocolate in particular may have a significant positive effect on your overall health.
Dark cocoa is high in antioxidants. Epicatechin, a flavonol, is one of the most advantageous. Flavonols are plant-derived compounds that fight inflammation and shield cells from free radical damage. These are just a few of the ways dark chocolate can help you, according to research:
Protection from Free Radicals
Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants that combat free radicals. Antioxidants like vitamins and phytochemicals like flavonoids and polyphenols are extremely efficient at fighting free radicals. Free radicals, according to Jilian Levy, Senior Writer at Dr Axe, are extremely reactive molecules that accelerate the aging process. They also harm the immune system, impairing its ability to defend us against illness.
Cardiovascular Disease Protection
Flavanols have a huge effect on heart health. Flavanols have been shown in studies to improve the clotting capacity of blood platelets. This, in turn, lowers the odds of having a stroke. Flavanols not only increase blood flow but also aid lower blood pressure. This is because the flavanol compound reduces and restricts the oxidation of LDL. (bad cholesterol). This means that it keeps bad cholesterol from accumulating around the vessel walls and clogging blood flow.
Enhances Athletic Performance
The epicatechin in dark chocolate stimulates the production of nitric oxide in the blood, which improves circulation and lowers the amount of oxygen used by athletes during moderately intense exercise. This enables the athlete to keep up the workout intensity for a longer period of time.
Helps Balance the Immune System
Flavonols balance the immune system by preventing it from going into overdrive and by reducing oxidative stress, which is an imbalance produced by cells fighting free radicals and a frequent cause of many diseases.
Reduces stress
People who ate dark chocolate reported feeling less stressed, and researchers verified that there were lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after consuming dark chocolate. This could be linked to the effects of dark chocolate on heart health, as stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Enhances Cognitive Function
Numerous studies show that dark chocolate improves cognitive performance significantly. The properties of this chocolate boost gamma frequency in the cerebral cortical area of the brain. Memory is controlled by the cerebral cortex. Brain damage is greatly reduced thanks to epicatechin, a compound found in dark chocolate. Furthermore, it has been shown to reduce mental impairment by increasing blood supply to the brain.
Because of its properties, dark chocolate can provide numerous health benefits to those who ingest it. It contains a lot of vitamins like flavanols. Furthermore, it is rich in nutrients. There are numerous methods to incorporate it into your daily diet and nutrition. Some people add bits of chocolate to their fruit salads or smoothies, or they replace milk chocolate in desserts with a healthier alternative.
With its health-promoting chemicals and micronutrients, you should consider incorporating dark chocolate into your diet if it isn’t already. (it is important to note that dark chocolate contains caffeine, which some people may be sensitive to).
Here are some facts about the health advantages of dark chocolate:
- The greater the cocoa content, the more beneficial flavonols are present in the chocolate. The majority of the benefits observed in research are linked with chocolate that contains at least 70% cacao.
- Researchers have not made a firm suggestion on how much dark chocolate should be consumed to reap these health benefits. Experts suggest eating an ounce of minimally processed dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao content on occasion.
- Always read the label to be conscious of the calorie, fat, and sugar content, which may impact the overall health benefit.
- Chocolate can cause acid reflux or migraines in some individuals.
Finally, indulging in a chocolate treat on occasion should not be fraught with tension or guilt, whether it is antioxidant-rich dark chocolate or white chocolate, which has little nutritional value. The key, as with most successful relationships, is to keep a positive and balanced outlook.
Dark chocolate has numerous health advantages and should be consumed as part of a well-balanced diet. There are numerous healthy methods to incorporate chocolate into your diet; find what works best for you.
If you require additional assistance or are having difficulty controlling your eating habits, consult with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or other qualified health expert.
