healthy chocolate antioxidants heart
Healthy chocolate still sounds like a dream for many, but chocolate itself has not gained an official status of a health food yet. Super dark chocolate though is growing in reputation, as several studies indicate, here is a heart-healthy choice.
As revealed by these studies, chocolate and its primary ingredient, cacao, is heart healthy. Flavanols from cocoa beans deliver antioxidants thus repairing cell damage. These flavanols also help lowering blood pressure, boosting vascular functions, and help people to stay younger.
Antioxidants in Chocolate – The Studies.
Antioxidants protect cells and tissues from damage by free radicals. These radicals are unstable molecules that can weaken cells to a large extent. Antioxidants act as an effective insurance policy against these radicals that result in undue stress and aging.
The presence of cacao content in super dark chocolate like AntidoteChoco and the slow roasting methods used to prepare those chocolate bars boosts the presence of antioxidants in them.
The amount of antioxidants, per dark chocolate serving, also showcased greater antioxidant capacity and higher flavanol and polyphenol levels compared to other fruits. Dr Debra Miller even remarked cacao seed to be a "Super Fruit" as it includes nutritional value beyond its composition.
How do Antioxidants Actually Help our Body?
Antioxidants are actually molecules that fight with free radicals in our body. Free radicals include compounds that cause undue harm when their number is too high in the body. The presence of free radicals is connected to multiple illnesses, such as diabetes, heart conditions, and cancer.
Your body possesses inherent antioxidant defenses to keep free radical count normal. Antioxidant preservatives also help food manufacturers to develop food with increased shelf life.
Without antioxidants, free radicals can cause serious harm to the body although in their normal count, they can serve important functions like fight infections. Maintaining a balance of free radicals and antioxidants is key to good health. When the count of free radicals outnumber antioxidants, it can lead to oxidative stress that can damage your DNA and other important body molecules. This factor increases cancer risk, and also accelerates the aging process.
Free radicals are formed due to several factors including air pollution, smoke from cigarettes, alcohol intake, high blood sugar levels, consumption of fatty acids, radiation, viral infections, intense exercise, and overall antioxidant deficiency. Expect negative health outcomes with excess free radicals including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Summary on benefits of antioxidants:
- Antioxidants protect cellular damage caused by free radicals.
- They cut down oxidative stress that can lead to cancer risks, vision loss, and other conditions.
- Works as a radical scavenger, hydrogen and electron donor that boosts health.
- Antioxidants also help people with premature aging, since it dispels free radicals that cause your skin to age quickly.
- Antioxidant supplements help reduce vision loss resulting out of macular degeneration.
It safeguards DNA and other important body molecules necessary for optimal health.
Takeaways based on cacao content in super dark chocolate.
Cacao beans owing to its high antioxidants and fat content offers strong potential health benefits. AntidoteChoco with 70% to 100% cacao content thus is extremely healthy if consumed in moderation to balance calorie levels. Cocoa phenols found in the chocolate are compounds that reduce blood pressure.
Remember, this information is not a license to go on a chocolate binge :)