Dark chocolate lovers, come together. There may be reason for you to indulge your sweet desire. Here are seven reasons why you should increase your dark chocolate intake, ranging from enhanced blood flow to reduced stress levels.

Chocolate has a poor reputation, but that is unfair to the superfood dark chocolate. Yes, you read it correctly: superfood!

To be clear, all of these health advantages are linked to dark chocolate rather than its evil brother, milk chocolate. Why is this the case? Milk chocolate, on the other hand, has a lot more sugar than dark chocolate. It also has substantially less cocoa, which is where we get many of these health advantages, therefore it is better to avoid it. However, I must admit that I am weak and often cave.

I should also point out that all of this is done in moderation. Small servings as part of your diet will do you much better than eating mountains of it. Let’s get started!

Improved Brain Function

If there was ever a statement that chocolate lovers would use to excuse our appetites, it would be this one: Chocolate has been recommended to make us smarter.

A 2006 research increased the intake of dark chocolate in a group of individuals’ meals for five days before asking them to perform a series of cognitive tests and comparing their results to a control group.

The research discovered that the new chocolate-heavy diet greatly improved the individuals’ performance, suggesting that chocolate is a wonderful brain power meal.

This is due to the presence of flavanols, a magical component found in dark chocolate that enhances the function of the inner lining of blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily through them.

It is worth noting, however, that flavanols are only found in dark chocolate and not milk chocolate, so make sure you acquire the appropriate sort before attempting to improve your cognitive abilities!

Do you need further proof? The graph below depicts an intriguing relationship between a nation’s chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel Laureates from that same country. It’s time to eat!

Improved Memory

Flavanol, the essential element once again, is so effective at boosting blood flow to the brain that it has been demonstrated to prevent memory loss over time.

In a study led by Columbia Universitys Dr. Scott A. Small, when healthy people between the ages of 50 and 69 drank a mixture high in cocoa flavanols for three months, they performed about 25% better on memory tests compared to those who didnt consume the mixture.

Unfortunately, this effect has not been seen in Alzheimer’s disease patients, although it is a compelling argument to try dark chocolate. Learn more about the research by reading on.

Reduces Stress

I recall how much better I felt after eating chocolate after combing through heaps of papers during my thesis at university.

It turns out that there is some real science behind it (See? I was very aware of what I was doing).

Dark chocolate has been shown to increase mood by raising brain serotonin and endorphin levels. 85% dark chocolate includes serotonin as well as carbs in the form of sugar, which will enhance your serotonin levels even further.

Furthermore, consuming around an ounce and a half of the black stuff everyday for two weeks may reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, according to study.

Pain Relief

Isn’t it reassuring to know that you not only adore chocolate, but it also loves you back? It has been shown that minor actions of pleasure, such as eating chocolate, may lead to a considerable decrease in perceiving specific pain stimuli.

A research using rats as participants discovered that they do not react to pain as rapidly while they are eating chocolate. Researchers fed chocolate chips to rats while turning on a light bulb underneath their cages. When the rats were not feeding, the heat from the bulb caused them to attempt to fight the discomfort by raising their paws.

The rats’ pain reaction to heat was muted when they ate chocolate, and they did not elevate their paws as rapidly as when they were not eating, despite continuing to consume.

But what about people? A 2014 research of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) discovered that participants may dramatically enhance both their walking distance and speed. This is a noteworthy result since PAD causes patients to experience substantial discomfort when walking.

How is this possible? Chocolate contains cocoa, which is anti-inflammatory, and since pain is typically related with inflammation, this helps ease pain.

Happier Children

As previously said, chocolate is excellent for relieving stress and making us feel better. However, this impact is so powerful that it may be passed on via the mother to produce happy children.

A group of pregnant women were questioned in Finland regarding their reported happiness and stress levels. They were questioned about specific characteristics of their children’s conduct six months later, after they had given birth.

They discovered a substantial link between happy newborns and happy mothers.

So maybe those strange food cravings have a functional foundation after all!

Weight Loss

Please bear with me on this one. On the surface, this may seem counterintuitive, but there is some strong reasoning behind it, and it will help you add dark chocolate to your diet without packing on the pounds. In reality, the reverse is true.

A Danish study revealed that black chocolate is considerably more satisfying than milk chocolate, reducing appetites for sweet, salty, and fatty meals.

So a few of little pieces of dark chocolate can go a long way toward helping you stay to your diet!

Heart Health

Prepare for this one. According to one research, frequent long-term use of cocoa resulted in a 50% (FIFTY!) reduction in heart disease.

In addition, although by no means less relevant, a University of Aberdeen research discovered that individuals who consumed up to a small bar of dark chocolate each day had an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

How is this possible? The flavanoids in dark chocolate stimulate the lining of your arteries to create nitric oxide, which helps relax the arteries, boosting blood flow while also decreasing blood pressure.

Its potent antioxidants make it simpler for blood to flow through your arteries, therefore lowering oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often known as bad cholesterol. When LDL is oxidized, it is more likely to damage the inner lining of your heart’s arteries. Dark cocoa antioxidants prevent LDL from oxidative damage, hence protecting your heart.

Skin Health

Long-term chocolate eating causes individuals’ skin to take substantially longer to acquire the reddening that characterizes the onset of sunburn.

A German research exposed chocolate eaters to UV radiation for six weeks and discovered that they had 15% less skin reddening than those who did not consume it. According to Wilhelm Stahl, the study’s leader, the chemicals in chocolate work as UV filters. The chocolate eaters’ skin was 16% denser and 42% less scaly after 12 weeks.

Furthermore, if you are concerned about acne breakouts caused by chocolate eating, Australian experts have said that they do not think there is any evidence that chocolate causes skin blemishes.

Cough Relief

Dark chocolate may also be used to treat common coughs, as a component in cocoa is thought to alleviate symptoms of both moderate and chronic coughs.

Chocolate, because to its theobromine component, was proven to relieve cough symptoms nearly as effectively as codeine in one research. This molecule, which is also responsible for chocolate’s feel-good impact, may decrease activity in the vagus nerve, a component of the brain.

According to one study, coughing provided comfort to as many as 60% of respondents.

As an added advantage, its academics argue that dark chocolate does not cause the sleepiness that codeine causes.

Diabetes Protection

To guard against type 2 diabetes, dark chocolate helps maintain your blood vessels healthy and your circulation normal.

The flavonoids in dark chocolate also aid your body’s sensitivity to insulin by allowing your cells to work properly and restoring your body’s capacity to utilise insulin effectively. This is critical for blood glucose regulation and may assist persons with pre-diabetes postpone the development of type 2 diabetes.

Dark chocolate also has a low glycemic index, which means it will not produce significant rises in blood sugar levels.