The first thing that comes to our mind when we think of something sweet and delicious is chocolate, chocolate cake, or a chocolate dessert. In all three associations, chocolate is the common word. That means we all love chocolate in different forms. It can be a traditional chocolate bar or a dessert. As Charles M. Schulz once said, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” So, why spend a life without chocolate?
Unlike the popular belief that chocolate is unhealthy, due to being processed and with sugar and other additives, it can actually be very beneficial. But, that’s only when we talk about the real, organic chocolate. It’s the chocolate that is grown on healthy soil, under healthy conditions, without using any pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or synthetic fertilizers during the process. In that way, it ensures you consume only nature-given, healthy chocolate.
Apart from being organic, thus healthy and safe for consumption, chocolate is also beneficial to your health. Moreover, there are many things that we aren’t aware of and we should be. That’s why we present to you the things you should know about organic chocolate.
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It’s Vegan
Yes, organic chocolate is vegan. In fact, chocolate as it is, raw, it’s vegan. This is because it comes from the cacao tree, which is a plant. And, unlike the milk chocolates we usually eat, this one doesn’t contain milk or any other additives. You can get your vegan chocolate from Mid-day Squares.
It’s Sweetened Using Organic and Natural Sweeteners
Maybe you knew, maybe not, but regular milk chocolates are usually sweetened with corn syrup, which comes from a genetically modified organism. Hence, you eat unhealthy and GMO product without even being aware of that. Organic chocolate, on the other hand, is sweetened with organic and natural sweeteners, such as malt syrup, dates, raisins, brown rice syrup, and evaporated cane syrup.
It Doesn’t Need Preservatives
There’s no need to add preservatives to chocolate because cacao beans contain natural preservatives. Even the cocoa butter contains preservatives, which allows it to be the preservative in the regular form of chocolate.
The Smell of Chocolate Affects Humans
You might have not known this but the smell of chocolate positively affects people. This is because when a person smells chocolate, their theta waves in the brain increase. This reaction makes them feel relaxed.
It’s Very Healthy
Due to being organically grown, without any additives, pesticides, GMOs or GMO sweeteners, organic chocolate is very healthy. It’s because it’s rich in b12, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin e, zinc, phosphorus, and manganese. It also contains iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Being rich in vitamins and minerals, it’s very beneficial to your health. Having in mind that chocolate is mostly considered as unhealthy, we would like to point out to its health benefits. So, let’s have a look at them.
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The Health Benefits of Organic Chocolate
Supports the Nervous System
According to a study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins, organic chocolate (also known as raw, dark, and vegan chocolate) may protect the brain after a stroke. This is because it contains flavonoids and epicatechin. And, as it’s known, epicatechin promotes cell’s self-defence. Additionally, these two compounds can help reduce the risk of nervous disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Improves Heart Health
Organic chocolate regulates blood pressure. This is very important, having in mind that high blood pressure is among the most common reasons for heart attack. It works its magic due to containing flavonoids which helps increase the nitric oxide levels in the blood, thus maintaining proper blood pressure. On the other hand, low blood pressure can cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, among the other effects. In this case, the caffeine found in chocolate increases the blood pressure to a normal level.
Additionally, organic chocolate reduces heart risk because it doesn’t increase cholesterol levels. As a matter of fact, it reduces the bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and increases the good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Plus, the antioxidant properties of flavonoids protect the heart from inflammation and oxidative damage.
Other Health Benefits
Apart from these benefits, organic chocolate can also help control your appetite by making you feel full for a longer period. It can also boost your focus and energy due to containing caffeine and flavonoids which increase the blood flow to your brain. Moreover, it helps stop diarrhea due to being rich in flavonoids, which are actually considered as a natural remedy for diarrhea.
It can be concluded that organic chocolate is incredibly healthy due to being organically grown, without any additives and harmful substances. Therefore, if you want to improve your health, you should consider replacing your regular, milk chocolate with an organic one. In that way, you will not only boost your health but will also prevent weight gain, of course, if consuming in normal portions.