Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

 

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At Delysia, we believe that every moment is the right time to indulge in delicious chocolate.  While most people might assume the only thing chocolate will do for your body is expand your waistline, actually just the opposite is true! Fortunately you don’t have to feel too guilty about giving in to that chocolate craving.  Just in case you needed one more reason to enjoy some of our rich chocolate truffles, there are several proven health benefits of eating dark chocolate.

Help Your Heart

Several studies show that consuming dark chocolate that is at least 70 percent cocoa is actually good for your heart!  Dark chocolate contains tons of antioxidants, which fight free radicals in the body to protect against heart disease and other ailments. One study in Germany found that participants lowered blood pressure and reduced their risk of heart attack and stroke by nearly 40 percent after consuming a square of dark chocolate every day.  (Source: ABC News)

Protect Your Skin

A particular type of antioxidant found in cocoa can actual help protect your skin from UV rays.  While you shouldn’t forgo the sunscreen, clinical studies have shown that consuming dark chocolate rich in flavonols helped protect the skin against sunburn and UV damage.  (Source: Huffington Post)

Reduce Your Stress

Ever wonder why so many people turn to chocolate in times of stress or anxiety?  There’s more to that chocolate craving than just a sweet tooth.  Dark chocolate consumption helps reduce stress hormone levels and mitigate the metabolic effects of stress, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego.   (Source: Women’s Health)

Boost Your Brain

dark chocolate healthA long-term study by researchers from Oxford University and Norway found that people who consumed foods rich in flavonols – such as dark chocolate – performed significantly better on cognitive tests.  A similar study at the University of Nottingham showed that flavonols boost blood flow to key parts of the brain, which in turn helps improve performance and alertness.  We always knew people who ate chocolate were smart! (Source: Women’s Health)

Whatever your reason for consuming chocolate, whether for health or pure enjoyment, make sure you are choosing the best.  Delysia’s chocolates are made with only the highest-quality ingredients, so you can indulge in chocolate that is near perfection.

 

 

 

 

Nicole Patel

Nicole Patel is the proprietor of and chocolatier for Delysia Chocolatier. In 2006 while pregnant with her first son, Nicole made a batch of chocolate truffles as holiday gifts. To the delight of friends and family, she continued to create chocolates as a way to relieve stress from her corporate engineering job. In 2008, a chance trip to Becker Vineyards led to Nicole being the first in Texas to make truffles using local wines. Within five years, what started as a hobby turned Delysia into one of the Top Ten Chocolatiers in the Americas, as selected by the International Chocolate Salon.