Do you consider chocolate your guilty pleasure? It’s time to change the concept that it feels like superfood. According to a 2020 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, chocolate can be beneficial for your heart. If you consume dark chocolate, it is pleasurable for your cardiovascular system. Priyanka Lulla, dietitian, shares some impressive heart health benefits of dark chocolate or cocoa.Also read – From citrus fruits to eggs, include 9 foods in the diet to improve brain function
Heart-Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate or Cocoa:
- Dark chocolate contains many nutrients that are good for your heart, including magnesium which helps maintain a healthy heart rhythm, iron helps transfer oxygen from the lungs to tissues including the heart, potassium helps improve blood pressure, and selenium helps your heart. Maintains. Keep your heart healthy by controlling oxidative stress to reduce your risk of heart disease.
- The fatty acid profile of dark chocolate or cocoa is also beneficial for the heart. The fat in chocolate comes from cocoa butter. It is composed of the same amount of oleic acid (heart-healthy monounsaturated fat is also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Saturated fatty acids include stearic and palmitic acids. Excessive amounts of saturated fat can contribute to raising LDL cholesterol (bad) and increase the risk of heart disease.
- Dark chocolate is rich in organic compounds that act as antioxidants. These include methylxanthines, polyphenols, flavonols, and catechins that reduce inflammation and can increase good cholesterol (HDL). The bioactive ingredients in cocoa, flavonols that are also found in fruits, vegetables and certain drinks, can improve blood flow through the arteries and help control blood pressure.
- Boosting nitric-oxide in cocoa is associated with reduced blood flow, brain function and risk of heart disease due to high concentrations of flavonols. The polyphenols present in cocoa bean pulp have an anti-bacterial effect and are also able to inactivate microorganisms that cause bad breath and prevent some bacteria from turning sugar and starch into acids, which prefer to ruin your teeth. Theobromine is one such main ingredient in cocoa beans and is found in beneficial concentrations in the dark rather than milk chocolate.
Why is it important to choose the right type of chocolate?
Choosing the right type of chocolate is essential to benefit from its healthy combinations. Most chocolate and cocoa products – even dark chocolate – have been processed to remove most of the flavonols. Therefore, when buying chocolate, always choose the one in which chocolate alcohol or cocoa is listed as the first ingredient as the first ingredient listed is the one that has the highest amount in the food product. Choose a high quality chocolate bar with at least 70% or more cocoa content to get maximum heart health benefits. Also read – Dark chocolate to fight covid-19: Green tea, grapes and chocolate chemicals can be combined to defeat the virus
To incorporate chocolate in a healthy way, try mixing it with your oatmeal for breakfast or as a chocolate smoothie after a workout with some nuts and hazelnuts, as well as healthy lifestyle practices such as adequate sleep and exercise. It’s not a sweet, silver bullet for heart disease on its own. Consumption of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa levels in moderation can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Also read – World Chocolate Day 2020: Here are 7 reasons why dark chocolate is good for health
