Benita Perera   BBSc. B.Psych AKA

Intuitive Counselor       Kinesiology Healer       Psychic Reader       Dream Interpreter

 

Dark Chocolate:
The Hidden Health Benefits

Here’s an argument you could win with nutritionists and it’s not wishful thinking either- chocolate can be good for you! Not just any chocolate mind you, dark chocolate. In history it’s been a delicacy for nobility and everybody’s favorite comfort food. Now scientists are looking at (possibly eating as well) dark chocolate in a whole new way. Let’s get into this luscious world of dark chocolate, its history, how to have it and why it’s so incredibly good for your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

 

A Short History of Chocolate

The cocoa (cacao) bean has been harvested since ancient times (1200 B.C.) in countries now known as Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua by advanced cultures including the Mayans and Aztecs. It was so valuable, it was used as currency for a time. After the Spanish conquored the Aztecs by the 17th century, they brought the treasured cocoa bean to Europe. By the 18th century, cocoa and small scale dark chocolate production quickly spread across Europe. The beautiful thick, dark substance was used as an all purpose medicinal remedy as well as indulged by nobility in chocolate houses. Did you know they had chocolate houses before they had cafés? Milk chocolate was a 19th century invention and showers the superamarket shelves today.

 

Dark Chocolate Vs Milk Chocolate

Before I talk about physical, emotional and mental health benefits of dark chocolate, I want to talk about why you should choose it over milk chocolate any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Firstly, the goodness in chocolate comes from cocoa and high quantities of cocoa at that. Dark chocolate has high amounts of cocoa, while milk chocolate has very low amounts of cocoa. This means all the great things dark chocolate can do for you, will apply to you if you eat it, but not if you eat milk chocolate.

Secondly, your blood sugar doesn’t spike as much with dark chocolate as it does with milk chocolate because there is less sugar in dark chocolate. Spiking blood sugar interferes with your hunger signals, so the chances of you guzzling two helpings of pasta instead of one, is higher if you eat milk chocolate.

Spiking blood sugar is also bad because it brings your mood and energy levels down, so if you’re a woman, you’re more likely to be in a good mood when your man gets home if you’ve gobbled darker chocolate.

Lastly, the quantity of milk added to dark chocolate is far less than that added to milk chocolate. Why is that a good thing? Milk tastes good with chocolate anyhow. However, according to issue 27 of the Journal of American Medical Association, the addition of milk to chocolate sharply reduces any antioxidants from being absorbed by your body.

 

Why do I FEEL SO GOOD after eating dark chocolate?

Did you know that dark chocolate was the female Viagra in the 15th century? Well, that’s a slight exaggeration, but doctors did give it to women to increase their libido. They didn’t know back then that it was partly due to the "theobromine" in dark chocolate which is considered an aphrodisiac. Theobromine also stimulates the production of serotonin and endorphins, which help you be in a pleasurable, positive mood.

Other great brain chemicals that are released by eating dark chocolate include:

Phenylethylamine (PEA) that produces the feeling of being in love and acts as mild anti-depressant. It also helps increase focus and alertness.

Anandamide- Thought of as the ‘bliss’ chemical produced when we feel great.

Dark chocolate also contains cannabinoids- a substance that mimics marijuana giving a natural high and it contains a mineral called magnesium.

The higher levels of cocoa in dark chocolate gives you the marvelous relaxing effects that magnesium has to offer the body and mind. Instead of popping a pill to keep your palms from sweating before your next performance, try eating a few glossy squares of dark chocolate instead.

 

What are the physical health benefits of dark chocolate?

The numerous and widespread health benefits of dark chocolate for our bodies come from the type of antioxidants (procyanidin, epicatechins and catechins flavanoids), magnesium and other essential minerals (sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc among others) contained in it.

He will be in her the goods books when he comes to her rescue with a bar of dark chocolate as she’s approaching her period. It helps periods be less painful and less of an emotional roller coaster for both of them. He may even help extend her life a little, as dark chocolate also protects against ovarian cancer.

Dark chocolate promotes the health of hair, nails and beautiful skin and WAIT FOR IT…skin elasticity! Now who doesn’t want that!

On the serious side, eating dark chocolate can reduce the condition and the risk of :

  • Some cancers;
  • Respiratory problems;
  • Arthritis and other inflammatory related complaints;
  • High blood pressure;
  • High cholesterol;
  • Diabetes;
  • Stroke and
  • Heart attack.

These physical health benefits of eating dark chocolate are widely proven in many scientific studies and historical documents.

(See Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, www.article.wn.com and www.article.wn.com

Even the brain can function better on dark chocolate. It might be the old biddy who adds up her shopping faster than you according to a study at the University of Oslo in Norway. They found a direct correlation between dark chocolate and increased cognitive function.

 

How much dark chocolate should I eat, how often and what type?

Because dark chocolate is potent, you only need a few squares a day. What! ONLY a few squares? Over time you may not want much more anyway. How can this be achieved?

Start by slowly replacing your chocolate and sweet cravings with dark chocolate and this will train your body to want it instead of the low quality treats you used to go for.

Organic, fair trade dark chocolate is best and doesn’t cost much more than regular dark chocolate, which is the next best option. Most supermarkets these days stock several varieties of dark chocolate. To reap the benefits dark chocolate has to offer, it needs to have at least 50% cocoa. You can work yourself up to 70% even 85% cocoa in dark chocolate, but go easy, it can take a little getting used to.

 

Isn’t there fat in chocolate even if it is dark chocolate?

The fat in dark chocolate is healthier than not as it doesn’t have detrimental affects on your cholesterol. Two thirds of the fat in dark chocolate is not bad for you, these are one third oleic acid which is a monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and one third is stearic acid which is a saturated fat but doesn’t influence your cholesterol. The ‘bad’ fat is palmitic acid and makes up the last third contained in dark chocolate.

 

The Cocoa Alternative

The benefits you get from eating dark chocolate is multiplied eight to ten times when you drink cocoa! Not supermarket variety cocoa, but pure, raw, cold pressed without chemicals, organic cocoa powder from ultimately the ‘criollo’ cocoa variety. I want to tell you more about it, but it’ll have to wait for another article.

If you want to read more, see www.powersuperfoods.com

To conclude, throwing dark chocolate into your supermarket trolley and into your diet is a great choice for your wellbeing and even your relationship- but that’s no license to go splurging on chocolate. Its power to stimulate the body and mind in seemingly all the right ways is fortunately not too good to be true. Those of us who have self-medicated with chocolate all these years were simply ahead of our time.