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Chocolate is a calorie-dense product but it can also be beneficial for your health and weight loss. Check out the five advantages of chocolate and enjoy it in moderation!
Chocolate is often associated with self-indulgence, it’s synonymous with calories, sugar, and fat. However, this is only an upper layer of this diverse dessert. Studiesshow that dark chocolate has multiple health benefits! Before you give up this calorie-dense treat for the sake of faster weight loss, consider the five amazing features it has.
Dark chocolate has the unique ability to boost your metabolism as it is filled with monounsaturated fatty acids. Cacao beans can affect the way your organism synthesizes fatty acids, and in turn, decreases the volume of carbs and fats your body absorbs.
Research, conducted by Nestle scientists states that chocolate can boost metabolism by affecting the level of in the blood and by improving the diversity of .
Because of its anti-inflammatory features, dark chocolate can help with post-workout recovery as it inhibits vascular inflammations. Some athletes say that one ounce of dark chocolate is enough to fix soreness after an intense workout in the gym. Try it and you’ll be surprised how much better you feel after exercises.
According to the University of Copenhagen studies, dark chocolate can eliminate cravings for salty, sweet, and fatty foods as it makes you feel full. Moreover, it is more efficient than milk chocolate. Some nutritionists even recommend eating a bit of dark chocolate 20 minutes before a meal to lower your appetite.
Studies show that chocolate can affect insulin synthesis in the body in several ways. For example, cocoa polyphenols are known to influence insulin resistance and improve glucose tolerance.
What’s more, because of the healthy fats in dark chocolate, the sugar it contains won’t be absorbed into the bloodstream as quickly as sugar from other sweets. This will stop the dreaded insulin spike.
Scientists state that those who eat dark chocolate are less stressed, sleep better, have lower levels of cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. Chocolate is known to stimulate the cognitive function of the brain and improve mood. However, the systematic review of surveys and studies about the influence of chocolate on the brain shows that the mechanisms of this connection are not yet well known.
Dark chocolate (72% of cacao and more) is way too beneficial for your health and weight loss to cut it out completely from your diet. Especially today, when you can easily find chocolate with no added sugar and even 99% chocolate.
Enjoy your favorite treat in moderation (no more than 28 g a day) and make your journey to the body of your dreams less stressful!
Unimeal does not diagnose or suggest treatments. Any description of the diet, training plan or supplement should be discussed with your current physician or nutritionist. This article does not address specific conditions and is simply meant to provide general information on healthcare topics. Following any advice is at your own initiative and does not impose any responsibility on the blog authors for your health and safety.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN
Ievgeniia Dobrynina is the Head of Nutrition and a fact checker at Unimeal.
Dr. Olena Avdiievska is a nutritional and medical expert at Unimeal. She is an MD and RDN in Dietology and nutrition and a university professor with 76 scientific publications.
