MMMM decadent chocolate. Most of my life was spent devouring milk chocolate until I tasted dark chocolate in Greece. Although Greece is not necessarily known for their different types of chocolate, it opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of darker chocolates. At first, its bitter taste was somewhat overwhelming, but as I continued to indulge in my first dark chocolate bar, I ended up loving its bittersweet flavor. Since then, I would never choose milk chocolate over dark again!
Besides the fact that my taste buds have officially crossed over to the “dark side”, there are many different health benefits that dark chocolate offers. Eating a small piece of dark chocolate each day lowers blood pressure and cholesterol! Chocolate still has a high calorie count, so although extremely tempting, people should steer clear from enjoying an entire bar. Who would have thought...
that eating something so rich and associated with treats would benefit your health! With the help of Mark Stibich PhD’s facts, dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins and contains serotonin. Endorphins are hormones that are released which give feelings of pleasure, and serotonin works as an anti-depressant.
Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, which help rid our bodies of damaging free radicals. Interestingly enough, you should steer clear from drinking milk with your piece of dark chocolate. Why? I thought milk is the best drink to wash down those wonderful desserts! Milk prevents the antioxidants from being absorbed in your body. Also, in order to gain the highest nutritional value from dark chocolate, stay away from dark chocolate filled with caramel or nuggets in the center. Eating dark chocolate that has nuts or orange peels, or just dark chocolate alone, is best for maximizing its positive nutritional value.
Because research has shown that a little piece of dark chocolate can go a long way for your health, there is no reason to not eat some! Enjoy!
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