When one talks about chocolate, it's kind of hard to say a bad word about it. Naturally, if you don't eat too much of it, real chocolate is very healthy for the body. Chocolate, like red wine, is rich in bioflavonoids, which are plant micronutrients, which are beneficial to health.
They support the cardiovascular system, provide strong antioxidant benefits and even prevent some malignancies. This sweet treat is also packed with vitamins, minerals and the fat has been reported to lower bad LDL cholesterol levels.
Chocolate has the ability to relieve stress and elevate the mood. However, whether these benefits are the same for dark and white chocolate, we will try to find out now.
Chocolate in its natural form is made from cocoa beans, which originated in Central and South America, where they were cultivated before 1100 BC. Even the Mayans and Aztecs prepared the so-called Bitter Water - something like today's hot chocolate.
Each chocolate dessert can be processed by different technologies, which, however, directly affects its nutritional qualities. It would be best if it was made according to the original recipe with cocoa beans, although they add bitterness to the dessert. And to improve its taste, various flavorings are added, which change its positive qualities, but also make it more appetizing.
Broadly speaking, there are three types of chocolate – white, dark and milk. White chocolate is the least nutritious. It does not contain cocoa, but cocoa butter in which the cocoa solids have been removed. Milk, vanilla and sugar are added to it, resulting in a delicious, sweet and white combination that melts in our mouth.
White chocolate contains a small amount of solids, but they are insufficient to retain the usual nutritional value of cocoa chocolate. Hence, the amount of bioflavonoids is lower, because they are a trademark of cocoa.
If our desire is to take full advantage of the qualities of chocolate, it is most useful to trust dark chocolate. It is the most bitter, but also contains the most cocoa solids and butter. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more useful it will be for the body.
The recommendations are to eat 40 g of dark chocolate several times a week for better health. Real chocolate should not contain oils other than cocoa.
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