Chocolate is a usually sweet, brown food preparation of roasted and ground cacao seeds that is made in the form of a liquid, paste, or in a block, or used as a flavoring ingredient in other foods. Chocolate sure is a favorite with many.
Ingredients: Cocoa beans, sugar.
Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health.
Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.
Studies show that dark chocolate (not the sugary crap) can improve your health and lower the risk of heart disease.
Very Nutritious
If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is actually quite nutritious. It contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals.
The fatty acid profile of cocoa and dark chocolate is also excellent. The fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fat.
It also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, but is unlikely to keep you awake at night as the amount of caffeine is very small compared to coffee.
Quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals.
SUMMARY
Cocoa and dark chocolate have a wide variety of powerful antioxidants. In fact, they have way more than most other foods.