Most people like chocolate. They eat it when they find themselves stressed, to have fun, so they have a better mood. Although chocolate is very popular and has many specific benefits, you still need to pay attention to your consumption. If you gobble up chocolate all day, you will surely lose its benefits.
   Chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or more will be very helpful. Three tablespoons of cocoa powder separately contains 1.5g of fat; 3g of fiber; no saturated fat and a total of 60 calories. And milk chocolate contains 17g of fat, 10g of saturated fat is 270 calories. So you know what you need?
   Eating good chocolate, such as dark chocolate, will help you a lot, especially if you are on a diet. Here are some of the benefits of chocolate.
1. Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
   The clear evidence of antioxidants is that flavanols in chocolate are good for health. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is very high in flavonoids. Research in the journal BMJ (British Medical Journal) concludes, chocolate consumption can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 35%. You are at risk of heart disease if your platelets coagulate, form a blood clot and cause a blood vessel blockage. If you consume chocolate regularly you will improve your arterial blood flow, without being clogged. That's because the flavanols in cocoa beans help promote blood flow and relax your blood vessels.
   The beneficial effects on many of the cardiovascular diseases of chocolate have been proven based on the effect of flavanols and procyanindins on vascular function, which shows that chocolate is good for heart health.
2. Reduce cholesterol
   Many studies show that eating chocolate helps bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL) levels. At the same time, this also reduces the risk of heart disease. Cocoa used in patients with mild cholesterol may reduce LDL cholesterol lower than 5% after 4 weeks (when drinking cocoa daily from 81-163mg / day). Even in young people with normal cholesterol levels using milk chocolate 105g / day (containing 168mg flavanols) will reduce LDL-cholesterol level by 15% after 14 days. Increased HDL cholesterol has been shown experimentally and in people with mild cholesterol elevation if dark chocolate or powdered cocoa is used.
3. Reduce blood pressure
   Grassi's study in Italy on a group of healthy young adults on the same diet differed only from one group using 100g of dark chocolate and the other using 90g of white chocolate (100g of dark chocolate has 500mg of polyphenols and white chocolate doesn't have polyphenols). Research shows that dark chocolate reduces blood pressure while not seeing this in people who use white chocolate. Taking dark chocolate can reduce systolic blood pressure by 4.7mmHg and 2.8mmHg.
4. Prevent diabetes
   Because cocoa has the ability to improve insulin sensitivity. Therefore, eating chocolate in moderation helps you delay or prevent the development of diabetes.
5. Reduce anxiety and stress
   Stress produces cortisol, which causes the belly and other organs to accumulate fat. Eating about 28g daily for two weeks helps lower cortisol levels and makes you comfortable and nervous. Surveys show that people who eat cocoa regularly have a level of anxiety 10% lower than normal. In addition, chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which is secreted when you are happy. PEA encourages the brain to release endorphins, which make them feel happy and pleasant.
6. Good for pregnant women and babies
   As mentioned above, chocolate is a great food to reduce stress. A study in Finland showed that pregnant women who eat chocolate regularly are in a good mood, feel less stressed so babies are born happier and laugh more than other babies.
7. Make skin beautiful and healthy
   Chocolate is a great food for making skin healthier because it contains antioxidants. Eating chocolate for 12 weeks will help your skin increase moisture to 25%, while increasing UV protection. Chocolate also protects your skin from dehydration, increases elasticity and prevents burns by improving blood circulation to the brain to the capillaries in the skin.
8. Enhance energy
   If you have a hard workout routine, chocolate will provide you with many benefits. Eating chocolate before training will energize you. Cocoa contains antioxidants like epicatechins and catechins that help improve the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Some studies show that antioxidants can increase fatigue resistance by up to 30%. In addition, chocolate helps relieve post-workout pain, mainly thanks to anti-inflammatory compounds, which is more effective than some muscle recovery drinks.
9. Lose weight
   According to neuroscientist Will Clover, a small piece of chocolate before a meal creates hormones in the brain that make you feel full, resulting in less food consumption later. So you don't overeat.
10. Increase memory
   Flavanols in cocoa beans also work to reduce the ability of dementia of the elderly. Scientists at Harvard Medical University have found that drinking 2 cups of chocolate.
 

(According to Health & Life)