Dark Chocolate Health Benefits
Dark chocolate health benefits are many, it makes a great antioxidant treat to help fight aging.
Dark chocolate facts – the darker it is, the richer in flavonoids, it also contains many of the health benefits of dark green vegetables.
The best dark chocolate contains a high cocoa content, this will help provide the body with the antioxidants needed to prevent damage caused by free radicals.
Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in plant food which can prevent or slow damage to our body. Which is why eating foods high in antioxidants like dark chocolate can help.
To enjoy the dark chocolate health benefits you only need to eat a small amount, no more than 100 grams or 3.5 ounces. I have found the best way to include it into my diet is to cut out eating lots of other sweets.
The saturated fat in dark chocolate is a form of stearic acid, this type of fat has been shown to have a neutral effect on cholesterol.
The liver is able to convert stearic acid into a healthier monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is probably the healthiest type of general fat, it has none of the adverse effects associated with saturated fats.
Before you rush out and buy some dark chocolate, there are a couple of things you should look for;
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Make sure it is 70% cocoa or more and is made from cocoa butter not fats such as palm or coconut oils. They are all saturated fats, yet cocoa butter has a neutral effect on cholesterol levels, while palm oil and coconut oil can raise blood cholesterol.
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Does not contain milk fat.
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Does not contain soy.
Always try to buy ‘fair trade certified’, as this ensures no forced or abusive child labour is used. Make sure products exported internationally from ‘developing’ countries, to ‘developed’ countries are produced under fair conditions.
More dark chocolate facts; the chocolate industry is estimated to be around $60 billion and fair trade chocolate represents about 1%.
Many cocoa farms are responsible for child slave labour, children are working in unsafe conditions, sometimes working up to 14 hours a day, are beaten and live in poverty. And this unfortunately, is another one of the dark chocolate facts.
As consumers we can make a difference, by buying only the best dark chocolate which is made from fair trade cocoa beans. It may seem like a small thing to do, but if we all do it together we can help make a difference.
Lets enjoy the dark chocolate health benefits guilt free.
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