The season of flowers and chocolate is here. For some, Valentine's Day is not complete without chocolate and they indulge in this as a guilty treat fearing it might ruin two weeks' effort to fit into that perfect outfit for the date.
There is now a new reason why you might want to eat up that chocolate. While chocolate has been implicated with conditions such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, recent research shows that the dark chocolate as beneficial for human health due to its high content of cocoa beans.
To get this delicious treat, cocoa beans are processed into a mass and you get chocolate once sugar and fat are added. Cocoa beans are a great source of antioxidants, polyphenols and alkaloids which help prevent our cells from oxidative damage, keeping diseases like cancer at bay.
These beans also have minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, zinc and potassium, oleic acid which is a heart-healthy essential mono-unsaturated fat, fiber and vitamins E, B2, B1, B5, B3 and B9.
They are also said to slow down mental impairment in the elderly, help to preserve blood flow in the working areas of the brain and at the same time supply energy to brain cells. Dark also helps lower bad cholesterol, thus giving the statement "good for the heart a whole new meaning.
Therefore, the darker the chocolate, the more its potency in healthy goodies. This is what makes it a better option, compared to its white counterpart which does not contain cocoa solids but cocoa butter.
However, dark chocolate still contains sugar and fat and should therefore be taken in moderation because it is still packed with calories. It is recommended to buy dark chocolate that has a minimum of 70 per cent cocoa solids.
