![]() ![]() Several studies have begun to narrow down just how chocolate can impact the brain. There is research indicating that chocolate stimulates neural activity in areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward, which in turn decreases stress and improves your mood, says Joy DuBost, PhD, RD, a food scientist, registered dietitian, and owner of Dubost Food and Nutrition Solutions in Arlington, Virginia. No, it’s not your imagination - studies show that consuming dark chocolate with high percentages of cacao, such as 70 percent, may benefit your brain. The Treat May Improve Cognition, Prevent Memory Loss, and Boost Your Mood ![]() RELATED: 10 Superfoods for Heart Health 2. The studies are also limited in that they can’t directly establish cause and effect.Ī meta-analysis published in July 2017 in Nutrients, however, acknowledged that margin for error and still found that chocolate was likely beneficial in reducing the risk of heart health, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These chemicals help produce nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to relax and blood pressure to lower, per a review published in March 2017 in the American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology.īecause many of these studies are observational, the results could be skewed by people underreporting their chocolate intake. Research suggests it’s the flavonoids in dark chocolate that maintain heart health. Another large study, published in May 2021 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed data from more than 188,000 veterans and concluded that regularly eating about 1 oz of chocolate was associated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in July 2020 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that eating chocolate once per week was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of blocked arteries. One of the biggest benefits that researchers tout is the role dark chocolate may play in improving heart health. Dark Chocolate May Help Prevent Heart Disease and Lower the Risk of Stroke RELATED: The 8 Best Dark Chocolate Bars, According to a Registered Dietitianġ. Now, a look at some benefits this treat offers. To avoid weight gain, Amidor recommends eating no more than 1 ounce (oz) of dark chocolate per day. And even though quality dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate, it is still chocolate, meaning it’s high in calories and saturated fat. Chan School of Public Health bars with lower percentages of cacao have more added sugar and unhealthy fats. Your best bet is choosing a bar with 70 percent cacao or higher, according to the Harvard T.H. “The darker you go, the more antioxidants you’ll get, but there needs to be a balance between eating palatable dark chocolate and getting the health benefits.” “Cacao is packed with numerous antioxidants - actually more than green tea or red wine,” she says. ![]() The cacao plant that chocolate is derived from also contains a compound called theobromine, which Toby Amidor, RD, a cookbook author and nutrition expert for Food Network, says may help reduce inflammation and potentially lower blood pressure. Scientific studies have shown that dark chocolate - sorry, milk and white chocolate don’t count - is rich in antioxidants and packed with nutrients, making this bittersweet treat a superfood favorite.ĭark chocolate contains phytonutrients called flavonoids, which are plant chemicals that act as antioxidants and may play a role in cancer prevention and heart health, according to research published in 2016 in the Journal of Nutritional Science. If you’ve dreamt of eating chocolate every day, now you have an excuse - or eight. ![]()
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