22 Nutritional, Health And Beauty Benefits Of Chocolate

Updates: 04/25/2024

Eating for health and beauty does not mean a lifetime sentence of salad. Indulge in chocolate can help you achieve some health and beauty rewards. Chocolate is loaded with nutrients that could positively affect your health. This article is designed to provide you with detailed information about different types of chocolate, and 22 nutritional, health and beauty benefits of chocolate. Discover all to take advantage of this food appropriately.

Nutritional, Health And Beauty Benefits Of Chocolate – How To Enjoy This Food

I. Benefits Of Chocolate – Main Types Of Chocolate

1. Unsweetened

benefits of chocolate milkThis type of chocolate is made with solid chocolate liquor without added substance. It is too bitter to eat, yet lends a great chocolate flavor to cakes and brownies. This chocolate is made from a blend of fine cocoa beans which are roasted, then crushed, and ground between the large heated rollers. In fact, the unsweetened chocolate is considered as the purest kind of chocolate which is rich in cocoa butter and salt in smooth. Especially, it is the best for baking.

2. Bittersweet

The bittersweet chocolate includes chocolate liquor, extra cocoa butter and sugar. Yet, it also has more pronounced European chocolate flavor because of the higher content of chocolate liquor.



3. Semi-Sweet

Being made by the same method used to produce unsweetened chocolate, yet with just a pinch of vanilla, cocoa butter, and a little bit of sugar, chocolate has a rich, sweet taste. Semi-sweet is great for fondues and garnishes.

4. Sweetened

benefits of chocolate waxSweetened chocolate is rich as well as creamy with a mild chocolate flavor. Also, it has a large amount of extra sugar and cocoa butter compared with other forms of chocolate. It is usually used in commercial candies or bars.

5. Milk

This type of chocolate is made from cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar. Milk chocolate is often eaten in the form of candy bars. This type of chocolate contains at least 10% chocolate liquor and at least 12% milk. The initial bar of milk chocolate was invented by a Swiss candy-maker – Daniel Peter in 1876 when he devised the process of adding condensed milk to the chocolate.

6. White

benefits of chocolate facialActually, in terms of technically, this is not chocolate, it is mad with cocoa butter, sugar and milk, and does not include cocoa solids. Consequently, it is creamy white in color and milk and sweet in flavor. This is usually used as a decorative garnish or coating.

Keep in mind that, you had better not substitute one type of chocolate for another in a certain recipe because it might impact the flavor and your dessert might be fail. For getting the best results, you should not substitute chocolate chips for squares either. In reality, chips are created with less amount of cocoa butter so that they can hold their shape easily. On the other hands, squares are particularly formulated with quality ingredients so they will be easier to melt than the chocolate chips.

II. Nutritional Benefits Of Chocolate

There are many types of chocolate. Fact is, not all chocolate is formulated equal. Some of them are healthier and more powerful than others, thanks to the naturally happening healthy chemicals found in cacao. It is said that the higher the amounts of cacao are, the darker the treat and the more health benefits you can reap.

Chocolate is loaded with soluble fiber, essential vitamins and minerals. For more details, 100 grams of dark chocolate (with 70-85% cocoa) includes:

  • 11 grams of soluble fiber
  • 67% of Iron (RDA)
  • 58% of the Magnesium (RDA)
  • 89% of Copper (RDA)
  • 98% of Manganese (RDA)

Besides, chocolate is packed with a plenty of phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc. All these nutrients in chocolate come with 600 calories.. Hence, it is advised to use dark chocolate in moderation. The fatty acids of dark chocolate are great. They are mostly monounsaturated and saturated with tiny amounts of poly-unsaturates. Besides, chocolate also has stimulants like theobromine and caffeine to make you awake at night as caffeine in coffee.

1. Contains Many Nutrients

If you buy quality dark chocolate packed with a high content of cocoa, then it is very nutritious. It includes a large amount of soluble fiber and is packed different minerals, such as iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, zinc, and selenium. 

However, these nutrients also come with calories and sugar; thus, you had better consume this food in moderation.

In other words, cocoa butter extracted from the cacao bean and added into reputable dark chocolate bars is mainly monounsaturated and saturated fat, with small amount of polyunsaturated fat. Also, dark chocolate also includes stimulants such as theobromine and caffeine, yet is unlikely to keep you awake at night because the amount of caffeine is so small compared with coffee.

2. A Lot Of Antioxidants

Chocolate, in general, and dark chocolate, in particular, contains organic compounds which are biologically active and function as antioxidants. These contain polyphenols, catechines, flavanols, and so on.

Some studies indicated that dark chocolate and cocoa even consist of more antioxidant activity, flavanols and polyphenols than other fruits like Acai berries and blueberries. Is it wonderful?

III. Health Benefits Of Chocolate

1. Healthy Heart

benefits of chocolate teaChocolate has cardiovascular benefits. Based on some observational evidence, the intake of chocolate seems to be associated with a substantial decline in the potential of cardiometabolic disorders. If you consume a square of dark chocolate per day, then you can lower your blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack drastically. Thanks to the flavonoids, antioxidant compounds of chocolate, you will be able to increase the flexibility of arteries and veins.

Nevertheless, as those antioxidants come with a large portion of milk, sugar, and butter; thus, consuming chocolate does not make an excuse for skipping your workout.

2. Lose Weight

You might wonder that by how you can add chocolate to your diet plan without gaining weight. Fortunately, there is good news for you. Fact is dark chocolate can offer a feeling of satiety than its lighter-colored sibling. Therefore, eating dark chocolate will help you reduce sweet or fatty food cravings. So, indulging in a bit of dark chocolate can help you stick to your healthy diet plan in general.

3. Prevent Diabetes

Those people who eat a candy bar of dark chocolate once per day can reduce the insulin resistance effectively. Flavonoids enhance nitric oxide production. Hence, it can help control insulin sensitivity.

Learn how to prevent and control diabetes effectively with useful guide in our website now.

4. Alleviate Stress

benefits of chocolate ice creamIf you consume a half of dark chocolate candy bar per day, you can reduce your anxiety as the stress hormones are lessened and the metabolic effects of stress are partially decreased.

5. Boost Brain Function 

The good news is not over yet. Consuming high-flavanol cocoa can improve the blood flow to your brain, leading to improved brain function.

Cocoa might also boost cognitive function in the old with mental impairment. Also, it can promote verbal fluency some risk factors of common diseases. Because chocolate includes stimulant substances such as theobromine and caffeine, so it can be used as the brain stimulation tool.

6. Sexual Arousal

Those women who eat chocolate might have more desire as well as enjoyed sex more than women who ate no chocolate. Because sex drive is impacted by nerve, and stress, eating chocolate which is a natural mood booster, can certainly have a positive effect. It also impacts your irritability with the partner as well.

7. Help Cancer Patients

benefits of chocolate face maskChocolate might also have the possibility of anti-cancer as flavonoids found in chocolate can reduce the cell damage that could spur tumor growth.

8. Fill You Up

Because chocolate is high in fiber, so it can help keep you full, and eating less. Dark chocolate can do the trick much better than milk, according to some studies.

9. Fight Diabetes

Regular eating chocolate can increase the insulin sensitivity, thereby decreasing the risk of diabetes.

10. Conquer Coughs

If you could not stop coughing, then chocolate bars are good options for you. In chocolate, there is an ingredient named theobromine which seems to decrease activity of the vagus nerve, the part of the human brain which triggers hard-to-shake coughs. Thus, instead of going for such drugs which might go with some risky side effects, you should make use of chocolate first.

11. Improve Vision

benefits of chocolate for skin

When it comes to benefits of chocolate, vision enhancement should be one of the most beneficial one. As chocolate can improve blood flow to the brain, so it could increase blood flow to the retina, leading to improved vision.

12. Help You Smarter

Again, thanks to the possibility of boosting blood flow to the brain, people can feel more awake and alert, thereby performing better on counting tasks.

13.  Prevent Memory Decline

Just drinking two cups of hot chocolate per day can keep your brain healthy and prevent memory decline in the old. Thus, you should drink chocolate after a meal as a healthy and nutritious dessert that provides your brain with energy to go through the day smoothly. As mentioned above, hot chocolate helps preserve the blood flow in working areas of the brain. As different areas of the brain need more energy to do their tasks, they also need better blood flow. In fact, this relationship named neurovascular coupling, which plays a critical role in disease like Alzheimer’s.

See: ways to prevent memory loss.

All of the above benefits of chocolate are the typical advantages of this food. However, it does not mean you can indulge in chocolate freely. Moderation is the best. If so, you can get improved overall health naturally.

If you are interested in this topic of benefits of chocolate, leave your words at the end of this post to let us know your thoughts.

IV. Beauty Benefits Of Chocolate

1. Protect The Skin Against The Sun protect the skin against the sun

The bioactive compounds in dark chocolate might also be good for the skin. Chocolate contains flavanols, which can protect your skin against sun-induced damage, enhance blood flow to the skin and boost skin hydration and density as well.

In case that you are on the beach holiday, then loading up dark chocolate in the prior weeks or months will be your best choice to protect skin.

2. Detox Body Skin

If you have clammy and oily skin, chocolate is the best solution for you. With detoxifying properties, dark chocolate can be mixed with caffeine as a therapy to detox your body skin from being oily and clammy. Chocolate also helps increase your blood circulation as well as nourish skin for healthier look.

3. Anti-Ageing Properties

Do you know that, the better chocolate is, the higher amounts of flavonoids are included in chocolate. Actually, flavonoids are anti-ageing properties that help skin retain the elasticity and prevent the formation of wrinkles. Moreover, chocolate also encourages skin cell regeneration to make your skin younger and prevent your skin aging.

4. Hair Benefits

Chocolate is popular for offering hair care benefits. For more details, it can promote blood circulation in your scalp to increase growth of lustrous locks. Working as a circulation-booster, chocolate therefore is effective in improve hair loss.

Besides, chocolate also contain anti-inflamatory properties, so it can help minimizing scalp infections.

To make a DIY hair mask you can use unsweetened chocolate. Add yogurt and honey well to have mixture. Then, apply this mixture to your hair. Leave for 30 minutes. Next, wash out your hair with a water rinse and achieve super shiny strands.

With various minerals such as zinc, iron, copper included in chocolate, it is a great source to promote hair growth. Consume chocolate in different ways every day such as drink hot chocolate, eating dark chocolate cake. As a result, you will be able to boost your blood flow and oxygen to scalp for stronger and healthier hair.

5. Repair Dry Skin benefits of chocolate repair dry skin

Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin D are nutrients, which are high in dark chocolate so that they vitamin help moisturize your skin and bring it a healthier look. Apply your DIY chocolate scrub to remove dead skin cell in the body. The ingredients for making the paste include olive oil, cocoa powder, vanilla and brown sugar.

6. Erases Wrinkles

According to recent researches on benefits of chocolate, cocoa can help decrease stress hormones, so it also helps improve your skin with fewer wrinkles and less collagen breakdown.

7. Protect Teeth

If you suffer from cavities or other dental problems, consider the helpful benefits of chocolate. It sounds weird but it’s true. According to dentists, dark chocolate is beneficial in hardening your tooth enamel so that you will have less prone to your cavities. It is recommended that people should consume 12 grams of chocolate per day (dark chocolate is the best) to keep the dentist away.

All of the 22 nutritional, health and beauty benefits of chocolate are the typical advantages of this food. However, it does not mean you can indulge in chocolate freely. Moderation is the best. If so, you can get improved overall health naturally.

If you are interested in this topic of nutritional, health and beauty benefits of chocolate, leave your words at the end of this post to let us know your thoughts.

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