Are you a chocolate lover? If you are, before you reach out for that tempting piece of chocolate candy bar or slice of chocolate cake, it’s important to know that not all forms of chocolate contain high levels of flavanols.
Flavanol is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in various types of plants. Its antioxidant qualities can be extremely important to maintaining a healthy body. Dark chocolate, comes from cacao plant, and cacao is extraordinarily rich in flavanols. Flavanols promote health by helping the body to deal with the presence of free radicals, lower blood pressure, boost blood flow, and reduce blood clots.
 3. Improves Mood: Dark chocolate stimulates the release of endorphins, natural hormones produced by the brain, that generates feelings of pleasure and promotes a sense of well being. Chocolate may also make a person feel better by directly interacting with the brain. One of the ingredients in chocolate is tryptophan, an essential amino acid needed by the brain to produce serotonin. High levels of serotonin can give rise to feelings of happiness.Not all dark chocolates are created equal, hence it is important to look at the packaging and make sure that a minimum of 70% of it is pure cocoa. Also look out for labels that state “Does not contain palm, coconut, or milk fats”!
