Healthy chocolate or not for health? check here!

If you add chocolate, the taste of various kinds of food and drinks will be even more delicious. In fact, the chocolate that is eaten just like that is quite appetizing. Well, it turns out that behind its delicious taste, chocolate has many benefits for our bodies. However, don't many say that eating chocolate can make you fat and blood sugar rise? So which is it? Is chocolate healthy or is it a risk to health? Find out the answer here.

Where does chocolate come from?

Chocolate comes from the fruit of the cocoa tree. The fruit has a unique shape like a ball. Inside are cocoa beans. Well, these cocoa beans will later be dried, fermented, cleaned, and processed to become the chocolate you eat.

Is it true that chocolate can ward off free radicals?

Dark chocolate actually contains lots of flavonoids. The flavonoid content in chocolate acts as an antioxidant that can ward off free radicals in the body.

By blocking these free radicals, the body's resistance can be increased and the body can be protected from disease, especially cancer. The antioxidants in chocolate can also help slow down the aging process.

Is chocolate good for health?

Apart from functioning as a natural antioxidant, it turns out that chocolate also has several other benefits for the health of the body. This is what makes the experts consider chocolate healthy and good for consumption.

Chocolate contains magnesium, copper, potassium and calcium. These nutrients have a very good role for the health of blood vessels. Dark chocolate, or what is known as dark chocolate, it turns out that it contains as much as 36 mg of magnesium per 100 calorie serving. Magnesium is an indispensable nutrient for protein synthesis, muscle relaxation, and energy production. Magnesium also has the ability to protect the heart from irregular heartbeats.
The copper content in chocolate is also very useful for the transfer of iron in the body, glucose metabolism, children's growth, and brain development. When compared to chocolate milk, the copper content in dark chocolate is actually higher. Chocolate milk contains only 10 percent copper, while dark chocolate contains 31 percent.
Potassium in chocolate can also reduce the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). Dark chocolate contains as much as 114 mg of potassium (or as much as 2 percent of the daily dietary allowance).
Dark chocolate contains polyphenols which can lower blood pressure levels. The antioxidant content in chocolate is also able to reduce levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) which can reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
The flavonoids in dark chocolate are also able to regulate carbohydrate absorption in the digestive tract, protect and maintain the function of pancreatic beta cells (which are often disturbed in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus) and increase insulin sensitivity. The existence of stable insulin levels, will make glucose levels in your body stable.

Apart from these benefits, it turns out that dark chocolate also has several other unique abilities such as:

Increase blood flow to the brain and heart. This will improve your thinking skills.
Apparently, consumption of chocolate can cause feelings of happiness.
Chocolate can also make us fresher and more awake, because chocolate also contains caffeine (although in much less than coffee).

Are all types of chocolate healthy and nutritious?

In the market, chocolate is divided into three groups. Dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate. Of the three groups, dark chocolate contains the least amount of fat (28 percent), while the fat content in white chocolate is the highest, which is 30.9 percent. As for protein content, white chocolate has the highest protein content, which is 8 percent.

Based on its composition, dark chocolate also does not contain milk, or only in very small amounts, in contrast to other types of chocolate which are generally mixed with milk or sweeteners.

So, is chocolate a healthy food?

In fact, chocolate does have many positive effects on the health of your body. However, you also need to pay attention to the composition of the chocolate you choose. Especially if you don't eat dark chocolate or pure chocolate, but rather chocolate candy that has been mixed with various ingredients into it.

You have to pay attention to the glucose and calorie content in these chocolates. The existence of content like this will actually have a bad impact on your blood sugar levels, especially for those who have diabetes mellitus.

Therefore, it is actually healthy chocolate if you choose the right type, for example dark chocolate which is low in fat. Also pay attention to the portions. No need to overeat chocolate to get its health benefits. Eat in moderation, but regularly.