Next time you eat a piece of chocolate, you may not have to feel overly guilty about it!

Chocolate is not only delicious, but also useful!

Choosing a chocolate, necessarily pay attention to the content of cocoa and choose the darkest chocolate - 76-99%. The darkest chocolate contains the greatest concentration of useful properties!

In addition, dark chocolate has relatively few sugars and fats which reduce its caloric content!

Firstly, it is flavonoids. Flavonoids are one group of phytochemicals that have antioxidant abilities. Cocoa beans are good sources of flavonoids, but not all chocolate retains much of the cocoa bean. If your favorite chocolate bar is not dark chocolate, it may be a better source of calories and sugar than of beneficial flavonoids.

They have been found to have antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-ulcerogenic, mutagenic, antioxidant, antihepatotoxic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic and anti-inflammatory activities. They also have a regulatory role on different hormones like estrogens, androgens and thyroid hormone.

Flavonoids found in dark chocolate improve blood flow. Dark chocolate contains almost twice the level of antioxidants found in red wine and almost three times as much as green tea.

Chocolate has a rich mineral composition

Minerals (potassium, calcium, iron) affect the work of the heart positively. They promote the removal of excess fluid from the body and strengthen the bones bones and oxygen saturation of blood.

Some facts about the benefits of chocolate

Improve arterial blood flow

People who consume high-flavonoid chocolate daily, blood vessels improve after two weeks of chocolate consumption. The combination of epicatechin (a type of cocoa flavonoids) promotes the release of certain active substances that increase blood flow (a study by the University of California, San Francisco).

Reduces the risk of heart attack

Using only a few squares of dark chocolate per day it can reduce the risk of death from stroke or heart attack by almost 50%
Like aspirin Flavonoids have disaggregated properties and they do not allow the platelets to "glue" together and create a blood clot in the vessels. Therefore, cardiologists recommend black chocolate to people with increased blood viscosity.

Reduces the level of bad cholesterol

Cocoa and dark chocolate helps Lower Blood Pressure. Eating dark chocolate has positive effects in lowering blood sugar levels and “bad” cholesterol levels and increasing “good” cholesterol levels — all of which could have positive effects on heart health. (According to research from San Diego State University)

Improve mental activity

That boost of blood flow to the brain created by cocoa’s flavanols seems to make people feel more awake and alert (prevention of aging dementia and Alzheimer's disease) - the study of the University of Nottingham Medical School.

Chocolate can calm coughs

Alan Morice, a scientist from the University of Hull, and also a founding member of the International Society for the Study of Cough, recently revealed there’s research to show chocolate-based medication is more effective than linctus.
And research conducted at Imperial College London found that theobromine, a derivative found in cocoa, is nearly a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs when compared with codeine.

Chocolate is also high in saturated fat and calories, and must therefore be eaten in moderation!

Photographic materials from the pixabay