With Easter a few days away I thought I would share some of the benefits of including dark chocolate in your diet. Unfortunately i’m not talking about milk chocolate here, it needs to be dark, the darker the better and ideally organic high quality chocolate which does come with a bigger price tag.
 
Have a read below to learn some of the benefits of adding this delicious treat to your diet.
 
Fights free radicals - Dark chocolate is an excellent antioxidant. Cocao powder has been shown to have higher antioxidant activity than other ‘superfoods’ like blueberries and açai berries. Antioxidants are needed to neutralise free radicals which are causing havoc in our bodies. Free radicals cause inflammation, and inflammation is the route cause of most illnesses so it’s something you want to avoid and how amazing that a delicious treat can help!
 
Cancer fighting - Studies have shown that the antioxidants and flavonoids found in chocolate can have cancer fighting benefits, in particular colon cancer by reducing the growth and spread of the cancer.
 
Great for heart health and blood pressure - the flavanols found in dark chocolate have been shown to have a positive effect on reducing blood pressure and improving blood flow.
 
Good for cholesterol - dark chocolate contains cocoa butter which is full of healthy fats and polyphenols. Studies have shown that when including high quality dark chocolate in your diet regularly your lipid (fat) profile improves. 
 
Good for skin health - Some studies have shown the flavonols in dark chocolate can help protect the skin from sun damage.
 
The list goes on…but I’m sure you get the idea of how great it can be for overall health and wellbeing. Keep in mind that it does contain a high amount of calories, and sugar - although not as much as regular milk chocolate. I would recommend going for the highest percentage dark chocolate you can find as this will have more health benefits, and because it’s likely to be very bitter you won’t over indulge. Remember chocolate does contain caffeine - so if you are having to limit your caffeine intake due to pregnancy, breast feeding or other reasons keep this in mind as it can add up.
 
Keep an eye our for my home made dark chocolate recipe!
 
Have a wonderful Easter!