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Research Found (Yet Another) Reason To Eat Dark Chocolate
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
We know dark chocolate tends to be a healthier option compared to other sugar-packed options, but that's not the only reason to reach for a piece. In fact, new research finds opting for this sweet treat may even have blood sugar benefits. Feast your eyes on the science below.
Dark chocolate may lower hypertension risk
A new study published in Nature Scientific Reports found that dark chocolate consumption could reduce the risk of hypertension1. In addition, they suspect that dark chocolate may decrease blood clot risk, but more research is needed to establish a causal relationship for the latter.
The team of researchers used a technique called Mendelian Randomization2 to analyze genetic data from genome-wide association studies. Through this method, they identified a causal relationship between dark chocolate intake and lower hypertension risk and eliminated the chance of reverse causation.
This finding joins a long list of research-backed reasons to eat dark chocolate, like the potent antioxidant profile3, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial4 properties, and specific benefits for fasting blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
Generally speaking, dark chocolate is defined as having at least 50% cacao. When seeking a product that'll bring a host of health benefits with the delicious flavor, be sure to keep your eyes on that cacao ratio.
3 ways to get more dark chocolate in your diet
Here, three ways to make the most of your dark chocolate habit:
- Keep dark chocolate bars or chips on hand: For the streamlined chocolate lovers, the task is simple: Keep dark chocolate on hand. For added crunch, pop them in the freezer. Be sure to apply the same nuance when shopping for dark chocolate chips and seek out 50% or higher cacao products.
- Find supplements with cacao powder (and less added sugar): Look for protein powder or collagen supplements with natural cocoa. When scanning product labels, be sure to double-check you're getting cacao powder with natural sweeteners (think monk fruit, stevia, etc.).
- Pop it in your smoothie: Dark chocolate à la carte can be too bitter for some folks. One way to remedy this is by popping dark chocolate into your fruity smoothies to balance out the flavor profile (and get even more vitamins and nutrients). Here's our favorite chocolatey smoothie recipe to try.
The takeaway
New research suggests that dark chocolate consumption could help lower hypertension risk, again showing how this sweet treat benefits your health. Just be sure to stick with chocolate products containing 50% or more cacao to meet the dark chocolate threshold. Craving something sweet? Here, find a recipe for protein-packed dark chocolate chip edible cookie dough balls you're destined to love.
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