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Tuesday, 04 March 2014 00:10

Chocolate is Not Just for Lovers

By Susan Kitchen (usatriathlon.org)

Life is too short not to indulge once in a while — especially in chocolate. But don’t grab a 3 Musketeers candy bar thinking you are doing your body a favor. Not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate packs the biggest health punch compared to milk and white chocolate.

The secret behind dark chocolate’s powerful punch is the cacao bean, rich in a plant-based organic compound called flavonoids. Flavanols, the primary type of...

flavonoid in cocoa and chocolate, have powerful antioxidant properties responsible for providing numerous health benefits. The downside is cacao by itself is unappetizing with its chalky and bitter flavor. Once milk, butter and sugar are added chocolate gets its yummy, creamy taste we have come to crave. However, the processing of chocolate takes out the flavanols negating the health benefit of cacao.

Here’s the secret, so listen up! Dark chocolate containing at least 70 percent cacao (or cocoa, which is the cacao bean ground and roasted) has higher amounts of flavanols, providing powerful antioxidant benefits.

7 Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate....READ MORE