Chocolate is one of my favorite snacks, and we all know how unhealthy it is to just sit on a couch and keep eating chocolate bar after chocolate bar. Lucky for us, there is a form of chocolate that actually has some health benefit for our bodies; dark chocolate. Because dark chocolate is very high in cocoa content, it contains tons of beneficial nutrients. These bars have tons of minerals in them along with soluble fibers. Consuming too much dark chocolate at once is not the healthiest option, though, because of how many minerals and fibers it contains. That is why eating it in moderation is the best option.

Along with being a great source of nutrients, dark chocolate may also improve your blood flow and lower your blood pressure. Who would have thought that eating chocolate could lower blood pressure? There have been many controlled trials showing that these are a possibility, all though the results are fairly small. In addition, the risk of cardiovascular disease can be lowered according to authoritynutrition.com. They say that, “the compounds in dark chocolate appear to be highly protective against the oxidation of LDL.” With this happening, cholesterol lodging in the arteries should start to lower, which will bring the risk of cardiovascular disease down over a long period of time. My source talked about numerous studies that were done to prove the long term effects cocoa has. It says, “On a study of 470 elderly men, cocoa was found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by a whopping 50% over a 15 year period.” Also, eating chocolate around 2 times per week lowered calcified plaque building in the arteries by about 32%.

One final way that dark chocolate can help your health is that it has bioactive compounds that can protect your skin from the sun. The chocolate contains flavonols, which can help your skin from damage caused by the sun, and it will also increase the density of your skin and make it more hydrated. With all these benefits, there is no reason not to start snacking on chocolate!

It is clear that there are many benefits to eating dark chocolate that is high in cocoa content. It can make you an overall healthier person if you eat the right kinds over a spaced out period of time.

http://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/benefits-of-chocolate