Here’s the scientific proof that you NEED chocolate…
Chocolate is one of those foods you can’t help but love. The rich, flavorful goodness of chocolate makes it one of the most desirable foods on the planet, and one that tastes good in just about everything. You can mix it with milk, ice cream, cereal, bread, and even some meats, and it’s a beautifully brilliant addition to most foods.
Most of the time, chocolate is NOT good for you. When it’s mixed with sugar (like milk chocolate), it’s a high-calorie, low-nutrient food that will contribute to weight loss. But, according to the British Journal of Nutrition, there are times when it’s okay to eat a bit of chocolate…
This medical journal published the findings of a study that examined the benefits of chocolate on blood glucose and insulin levels. Over 1,150 people participated in the study. The participants all answered a questionnaire that provided information on how much chocolate they ate per day.
The findings of the study were curious:
- Those who consumed chocolate were more likely to be active, but were also younger, better-educated, and more affluent. They had fewer chronic health problems.
- Those who consumed chocolate regularly had a lower risk of insulin resistance, meaning they were less likely to develop diabetes.
Basically, this study proved that eating chocolate can help to reduce your risk of diabetes and improve your overall health, right?
Well, not quite…
READ MORE: 10 Reasons Chocolate is Good for You
This study examined just one aspect of overall health: diabetes. It didn’t look at calorie intake, the effects of chocolate on cardiovascular or neurological health, and so on. But it’s encouraging to know that eating chocolate can help to IMPROVE health. Perhaps not everything sweet and delicious is bad for you.
Of course, the type of chocolate you eat definitely matters. White chocolate is almost entirely sugar and milk, and contains almost none of the antioxidants that makes chocolate so healthy. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, is bitter with only a hint of sweet from sugar, meaning it’s mostly antioxidants. Milk chocolate may seem like a healthy middle, but it’s also more sweet than healthy. Really, the darkest, least-sweet chocolate is the only kind that is actually “healthy”.
But, if you’re looking for proof that a bit of chocolate is a good idea, this is the proof you need! Adding a small serving of dark, bittersweet chocolate to your day can help to reduce your risk of diabetes, and it can satiate those sugar cravings. With just one ounce of the stuff every day, you’ll be far less likely to cheat on your diet, gain weight, and develop diabetes.
Of course, once you get started eating chocolate, it may be harder to stop than you expected. Sugar is highly addicting, and there’s nothing quite like the rich flavor of chocolate. Countless people have started off their diet expecting to just eat that one piece of chocolate per day, and ended up going way overboard.
Still, if you can keep yourself in check, you’ll find that dark chocolate is definitely a good food to add to your diet. As this study proved, it can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of diabetes. There are many other studies that have proven the benefits of dark chocolate, and you’ll find that they all support the same conclusion: in moderation, chocolate is awesome for your health. It’s all about portion control when it comes to sweets. Stick with just that one ounce of chocolate per day, and you’ll notice health improvements in no time!
