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9 Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate - More Than You Think

By Justin French


1. Recent studies have shown a reduction in the risk of getting cardiovascular disease in those who regularly ate dark chocolate. In those susceptible to Alzheimer's, diabetes and stroke a 50% reduction in risk was reported.

2. Stroke happens when blood thickens and causes a clot to lodge in the brain. Eating dark chocolate causes bacteria in your gut to manufacture anti-inflammatories which thin the blood, lessening the chance of you getting a stroke.

3. Daily consumption of dark chocolate lowered participants blood pressure by some 3 to 4 points. This was reported in 20 different studies on the subject.

4. You don't have to be elderly or sick to get these benefits either. Young, healthy men in their 20's who ate a small square of dark chocolate daily had some 14% to 23% increased blood flow.

5. Dark chocolate can actually increase HDL, the good cholesterol in your body, due to it's powerful anti-oxidants. This in turn lowers LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol. Lower cholesterol means less chance of damage to arteries, thus protecting your heart.

6. Insulin sensitivity in diabetics, and even non-diabetics showed improvement upon consumption of dark chocolate.

7. A substance in dark chocolate called Theobromine could even help protect your teeth by hardening your tooth enamel.

8. Dark chocolate improves blood flow to the skin surface giving you a healthy glow and protecting you from the sun.

9. A substance released by the brain called phenylethylamine is responsible for helping you feel happy and relaxed. This substance has been shown to increase on eating dark chocolate stimulating the production of the feel good hormones.

How To Choose Chocolate

70% cocoa chocolate is what you're looking for, not milky mars bars. These don't contain sufficient cocoa solids to achieve the above results.




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