Is chocolate known to be creamy, rich, decadent, and healthy? While this sweet treat is generally considered a guilty pleasure, research shows that chocolate actually offers multiple health benefits. Here are some of the things chocolate can do for you and your body.
Improves cognitive function
According to John Hopkins Medicine, dark chocolate is rich in the phytonutrient flavonols and helps to contribute to “… better reaction time, visual space recognition, stronger memory”. Harvard Medical School endorsed these findings by citing a review published in the May 2017 journal Frontiers in Nutrition. chocolate.
Improve athletic performance
Chocolate and Jim may sound like disaster recipes, but some studies suggest that the opposite may be true. According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, eating small amounts of dark chocolate may increase the availability of oxygen during training, according to Medical News Today. Again, cocoa contains flavanols.
Protects the skin from sunburn damage
Goodbye sunscreen, hello Hershey? Dark chocolate helps protect the skin with antioxidants that work to “neutralize the damage caused by free radicals caused by exposure to sunlight.” Skincare brand POLA’s Choice reported on the site. A study published at the National Library of Medicine showed that after three months of daily intake of high flavanol chocolate, the photoprotection of 30 subjects more than doubled.
Useful for weight management
Eating chocolate every day sounds like the exact opposite of what you do to maintain a healthy weight, but “studies show that dark chocolate plays a role in controlling appetite, which leads to weight loss. It can be useful, “reports Everyday Health. Neuroscientist Will Krauer has found that eating dark chocolate before or after a meal helps to induce hormones that indicate a happy brain. Eating large amounts of chocolate is more likely to counter weight loss, but eating small amounts here and there can help.
May play a role in cancer prevention
According to the American Cancer Society, chocolate contains many ingredients that have the property of fighting cancer. The two most beneficial are flavonoids called magnesium and epicatechin. According to Everyday Health, “A study published in the Journal Cell in January 2022 found that the body’s immune cells can target abnormal or infected cells only in magnesium-rich environments.” Another study, published in, found that the antioxidant properties of epicatechin have an “anti-cancer effect” on the body. However, not all chocolates are made the same, so check the nutrition label and make sure you are consuming high quality chocolate to enjoy all the benefits.
