Five great reasons your body will love healing with chocolate.
I’ve got some great news: Chocolate is good for you! Seriously. And thank goodness, since I love chocolate. Most of us do, in fact. We’ve been enjoying it in the Americas for thousands of years, as a food and as a medicine, and even sometimes as a currency.
Let me explain: Some chocolate is better than other chocolate. Some chocolate, like raw organic cacao, is considered a superfood! Why? Raw organic cacao, unlike its processed dark chocolate counterpart, is known to contain an extraordinary amount of antioxidants. In addition, since there is no added dairy to interfere with antioxidant absorption, eating raw organic cacao actually can reap all the health benefits.
These health benefits of chocolate depend on the percentage of cacao in the product; the more cacao, the more nutrient-dense the chocolate. Ideally, choose chocolate with at least 70% cacao.
Let’s talk about this superfood, cacao. Cacao, which is from a bean of the Theobroma cacao tree, is quite heart-healthy, and so much more! As a women’s health internist, I am obsessed with our heart health, and anything we can do to improve our heart health.
Some reasons to reach for those raw cacao beans or nibs (the broken, smaller pieces of the beans) include:
Heart health: Think lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels (both HDL and LDL). What’s the magic? Cacao beans contain high levels of flavonoids, anti-oxidants that work on the cellular level. Research shows that these compounds may in fact alter cell-signaling pathways, lowering our blood pressure and decreasing our risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol and decreasing inflammation and improving platelet (clotting) function.
Cancer health: Emerging research indicates that the antioxidants in cacao may help protect against cancer by limiting free radical damage to our cells. Cacao contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants in measured in foods.
Gastrointestinal health: Cacao is both an anti-inflammatory and loaded with fiber. Both of these are critical for our gastrointestinal health and wellbeing. Laboratory research shows some benefit for ulcerative colitis and treating h. pylori infections, too. Women need a whopping 25 gm/day of fiber and men need 35 gm/day; fortunately, a serving of cacao nibs contains 9 grams!
Mental health: Chocolate has long been used to boost one’s mood and improve cognition by triggering the release of some of the neurotransmitters in our brains. In particular, cacao boosts our serotonin levels, which helps to level out our moods and induce a sense of calmness.
Bone health: Cacao is seriously nutrient-dense, loaded with minerals like magnesium. Magnesium is needed for so many reasons including osteoporosis protection!
