Dark chocolate can be your heart's favourite snack

In moderation, dark chocolate can be an extremely heart-healthy snacking option, reveals study

If you were looking for a reason to indulge in one of the most sinful guilty pleasures known to man, you’d be happy to hear this guilt-reducing one – according to CNN, yet another study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has confirmed that dark chocolate actually helps your heart.

Dr. Chayakrit Krittanawong of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, the author of the all-important study says, “Our study suggests that chocolate helps keep the heart's blood vessels healthy. It contains heart-healthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols, and stearic acid, which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol.”

More simply put, chocolate is filled with antioxidants that can aid in reducing inflammation, improve your blood flow, and give a healthy boost to your overall mood and concentration. According to the study, a single serving of cocoa can be packing more phytochemical antioxidants than any other food in your diet –isn’t that impressive?

The study, poring over about five decades of chocolate consumption, also found that eating chocolate more than once a week signalled an 8% decreased risk of coronary artery disease. Earlier studies seem to confirm cocoa being linked to significantly lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality rates.

It accelerates the overall wellbeing of your heart, making sure that plaque does not build up in the lining of blood vessels, thereby also reducing blood pressure. What’s more, chocolate has even been linked to improving blood flow to the brain, in turn helping with cognitive function.

One important thing to note here is, the darker the chocolate, the better it is for you. This is, of course, because of the higher percentage of cocoa solids in dark chocolate - the good stuff. However, Krittanawong warns against unhealthy consumption.

"Moderate amounts of chocolate seem to protect the coronary arteries but it's likely that large quantities do not. The calories, sugar, milk, and fat in commercially available products need to be considered, particularly in diabetics and obese people.”

So, what’s the best version to consume? The less processed your cocoa is, the better. To make sure that you get your hands on the least processed cocoa, look for brands that have not been treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity - typically Dutch-processed.

It’s also a smart choice to avoid chocolate with too many additives. You may want to avoid fattening chocolates that contain caramel or nuts. Even milk and white chocolate contain higher levels of sugar content and calories – thanks to them being mixed with powdered or condensed milk. Your best bet, therefore, is dark chocolate candy or bars and unprocessed cocoa powder.

Get munching! (Not too much though, it's best to enjoy a 1-ounce bite a few times per week, says CNN.)

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