This time of year there seems to be an abundance of sweet treats everywhere we go. Chocolate is a favorite amongst many, but more health conscious people may not consume as much as they once did. Believe it or not there are studies conducted by several nutritionists which have shown that dark chocolate actually has more health benefits than its rivals like white chocolate or milk chocolate! Today, we list a few reasons why you should choose dark chocolate if you’re looking for a slightly healthier treat.
Dark chocolate is made up of at least 70% cocoa, and the cocoa solids are what contain the health compounds known as flavonols. The flavonols provide both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which are important to the body. Food that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties have been linked to lower blood sugar levels improvements in cholesterol levels.
While some people still argue that eating dark chocolate is bad for their health, there are multiple studies to disprove this theory. One such study was conducted by the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions. The results concluded that blood flow increased significantly in both study groups who ate dark chocolate with and without sugar. Interestingly, the blood flow actually dropped in the placebo group.
Of course, our urgent care doctors would stand by the reasoning that eating anything with sugar should be kept at a moderate consumption level. The good news is that you can enjoy dark chocolate once in awhile, and you can know that when you do, you may be giving your health a boost. Maybe that will give you motivation to stick to dark chocolate for your holiday gatherings and gifts this year.
We hope that you enjoy your weekend and that you won’t need to see us, but should you need urgent care, remember that several BSA CareXpress Urgent Care locations are open on Sunday!