Losing Weight With Dark Chocolate?
Over the years, much research has found that dark chocolate is filling, full of anti oxidants, and has natural properties that may help in losing weight. A simple internet search will yield many results of diet and health companies that are offering dark chocolate as a remedy to fight weight gain and to curve the appetite for sweets and salty foods. As well, a lot of researchers have concluded that dark rich chocolate has many health benefits for diabetics. So, can dark chocolate really help combat weight gain? Below are the many things that studies have shown over the many years.
Fiber in cocoa is linked to decreased weight because it helps block some fat absorption as well as having a sense of fullness. Cocoa also contains anandamide which is often called the "bliss chemical," because of greatly influences a persons mood. Research also shows that dark chocolate foods help stabilize blood sugar levels. It increases insulin sensitivity and proper metabolism which means that sugar in the blood is being used properly therefore it doesn't turn into fat. Chocolate is also a histamine blocker which helps decrease stomach acid and improves digestion. For centuries cocoa has been used as an antibacterial agent. Chocolate also contains caffeine which certainly aids in weight loss. Caffeine is found in many synthetic dietary supplements, whereas in cocoa, when it is combined with other beneficial chemicals it helps prevent cell damage, suppresses appetite, clears the skin, and even reduces the chances of heart disease.
Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany has found that dark chocolate lowers high blood pressure. A study conducted at Harvard University found that eating dark chocolate three times a month could prolong a person's life by roughly one year. At Dundee University, researchers there found that volunteers who ate dark chocolate cut their risk of developing blood clots by about 75 percent. What these and other research studies have identified are the flavonoids found in cocoa. Flavonoids are chemicals derived from antioxidant-rich plants that are believed to offer a wide variety of nutritional benefits. With that being said, it should be known that milk chocolate and white chocolate does not offer the same health benefits of rich dark chocolate. Milk chocolates are high in calories and fat and typically does not contain as much cocoa as dark chocolate does. When using dark chocolate as part of a healthy diet, it is important to look for bars that contain at least 60% cocoa.
