Health benefits of dark chocolate
“Why have you got 8 bars of chocolate in your fridge?!”
I recently shared a photo of what the inside of my fridge looks like and most of the comments were “Is that 8 bars of dark chocolate?“. And the answer was, yes it very much is. So I’ve decided to list some of the amazing health benefits of dark chocolate.
I have a massive sweet-tooth and before switching over to dark chocolate I regularly over-indulged in milk and white chocolate.
Fuller quicker and for longer
One of the first health benefits of dark chocolate was that I wasn’t able to eat as much of it. Not because I didn’t like it as much but because dark chocolate is better at satiating hunger and therefore fills you up quicker and also for longer.
Highly Nutritious
A small bar of dark chocolate can count towards your recommended daily intake of fibre, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. Talk about being an all-rounder!
Rich in antioxidants and flavonols
Dark chocolate is choc-a-block (sorry! 😂) full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your body against free radicals which may lead to heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Dark chocolate ranks amongst some of the best 'superfoods' for antioxidant content.
One of the biggest and most unknown health benefits of dark chocolate is that it is high in flavonols and minerals. Flavonols are proven to boost your brain, heart and gut health.
Less sugar without the compromise
Dark chocolate has a higher cocoa content leaving less room for additives. Milk and white chocolate are supplemented with cocoa solids, milk and sweeteners therefore dark chocolate has a much more reduced sugar content. This benefits your dental and gut health.
When choosing your bar - aim for chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa so that you can get all of the great health benefits of dark chocolate.
Dark chocolate does still contain some sugar and saturated fats so as with any treat it should be enjoyed in moderation and as part of a healthy balanced diet.
As for why there's 8 bars in my fridge - we're big meal and snack prep fans at SMFitness and a full fridge lets us plan ahead.