As a child, you must have always been told not to eat too many chocolates. Some of the reasons given were they are not good for you, you will spoil your teeth, they are not nutritious, etc. However, dark chocolate, when consumed in moderate quantities is beneficial, especially for middle-aged, and elderly people's health. Read on to find out why dark chocolate is good for you.

Dark chocolate

Chocolate that does not have any milk or milk products added to it is called dark chocolate. It is obtained from cocoa beans that contain flavonoids, which are plant compounds that perform antioxidant functions. The flavonoids found in dark chocolate are called flavonols. Research has proved that dark chocolate has a beneficial effect on both, your body and your mind.

Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease

Dark chocolate is good for the heart. A study conducted by the American Association of Advanced Science (AAAS) has found a correlation between consuming foods with antioxidant properties and a lower risk of heart disease.

The flavonols present in dark chocolate speed up nitric oxide activity in the human body. Nitric oxide plays a vital role in maintaining normal blood pressure in the body. If its concentration increases in the body, then the blood has to be pumped faster to get rid of it. This results in high blood pressure. Flavonols enable the body to process nitric oxide more efficiently and hence reduce the risks of developing high blood pressure due to decreased nitric oxide activity.

Flavonols also influence the behaviour of platelets in the blood, which are responsible for the ability of your blood to clot. These platelets sometimes coagulate and form clots in blood vessels due to various causes. This may impair normal blood flow since the clots act as an obstruction in the blood vessels. If these clots increase in size, they could cause blockages in the arteries, which are responsible for transporting blood to the different parts of the body. Consuming dark chocolate acts like aspirin and thins the blood. This prevents platelets from sticking to each other and forming clots.

Gives you a lift

Dark chocolate can also boost your mood when you are feeling down. It contains a number of compounds that are stimulatory in nature. These stimulants include theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine, tryptophan, etc. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid and is responsible for producing serotonin. This substance is a neurotransmitter that induces a feeling of calmness. Dark chocolate also triggers the production of endorphins by your body which gives you a feel-good sensation and reduces the ability of your body to feel pain. Caffeine tends to promote alertness but the amount of caffeine present in dark chocolate is not enough to keep you wide awake for hours. It will give you a small energy boost though.

Acts as an antioxidant

A large number of chemical reactions are constantly taking place in the body. Sometimes, these reactions produce certain charged particles, called free radicals, in the body. These free radicals wander through the body looking for ways to become uncharged. In the process of their journey, they often damage healthy tissue which can be a precursor to cancer.

As mentioned above, dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. This means that these flavonoids are capable of interacting with the free radicals and neutralising them. This helps prevent the damage done to healthy tissue and organs. The antioxidant property is retained even in milk chocolates but to a lesser extent.

Dark chocolate is not all bad. However, it does not give you a license to gobble down a bar each day. Remember that chocolate is also high in fat content. Consuming a moderate amount of dark chocolate once or twice a week is enough for you to reap its benefits. So go ahead and indulge yourself with a little dark chocolate once in a while.