The Sweet Benefits of Valentine's Day Chocolate

-




Heart-shaped Chocolates




With Valentine’s Day coming, we all love those sweet treats that come along with the holiday, whether chocolate, baked goods, or even fruit candies. 


But have you ever wondered if chocolate could be healthy for you?


Chocolate has three categories we may all know: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. This is determined by the amount of cocoa solids made from cocoa beans mixed with cocoa butter and sugar. In America, a standard bar of dark chocolate has around 70% - 85% cocoa. 


Dark chocolate contains a large amount of flavonoids which are antioxidants that protect our bodies from damage. So the higher the content of cocoa the higher the amount of flavonoids. 


While dark chocolate has the benefit of flavonoids, there are more benefits including:


  • A source of important minerals - such as iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus 

  • Non-dairy - a good option for those with a milk allergy or sensitivity 

  • High in fiber - around 4 grams per ounce 

  • Protects from sun damage - a small study found that chocolate can protect your skin from the damage of UV rays 

  • May enhance mood - from polyphenolic compounds, that lower cortisol, a stress hormone


When choosing chocolate it may be best to reach for dark chocolate due to its benefits. But don’t forget to choose what you enjoy best :) 


L.G.


Are there health benefits from chocolate? | American Heart Association


7 Dark Chocolate Benefits, and How Much You Should Eat 

Comments

  1. Makenna SladkyFebruary 2, 2025 at 6:20 PM

    I love dark chocolate and I’m happy to hear it has such great benefits!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Erin CarbajalFebruary 6, 2025 at 2:22 PM

    I’ve always heard that dark chocolate is better for you, but never took the time to learn why. This blog provided some cool insights that were news to me – such as being non-dairy, high in fiber, and protecting from sun damage. I also loved how the author included the caveat to choose what you enjoy best – we can get so wrapped up in trying to be healthy sometimes that we forget food is meant to be enjoyed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Abigail El-RichaniFebruary 18, 2025 at 9:09 PM

    I love this blog post. I'm a big chocolate fan and always heard that dark chocolate is the more healthier type of chocolate, but never really knew why. I am glad to hear that dark chocolate has good health benefits.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prev...
Read more

Child Malnutrition

-
New approach to childhood malnutrition may reduce relapses, deaths http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150211124024.htm               Moderate acute malnutrition is experienced by 35 million children worldwide. A new study led by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has suggested that feeding children until they have met target measures of arm circumference and weight may be more important than a set 12 week feeding time. However, researchers have found that the current targets, set by the World Health Organization (WHO) may not be sufficient and raising these targets slightly could significantly reduce the risk of relapse in malnourished children; a condition that has a 37% relapse rate. The study took place in rural Malawi and was comprised of 2,349 moderately malnourished children aged 6 months to 5 years old. Children were evaluated 12 months after treatment; 1,967 rec...
Read more

Harvest of the Month

-
Image
Harvest of the Month  August – Corn Good source of  fiber Carbohydrate source for energy Antioxidants Contains vitamins and minerals ½ cup or 1 ear = 80 calories   http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=90 September – Watermelon High in vitamin A and vitamin C Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory support 1 cup cubed = 46 calories http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31 October – Apples High in fiber Vitamin C Abundant amount of antioxidants 1 medium = 95 calories  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=15 November – Squash and Pumpkin High in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B2, B3 & B6 Many minerals  High in fiber Multiple antioxidant properties  1 cup = 76 calories  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63 Decembe...
Read more