Chocolate - Should This Hidden Superfood Be a Part of Your Daily Diet?

Dark Chocolate

Yes, chocolate is a high calorie food when it is in the form of a candy bar, especially when it is mixed with milk. Chocolate mixed with milk products is bad for your health because it will actually bind the amazing good qualities of the cocoa bean in the chocolate. The Internet is flooded with information about the new 'Superfood' called the Acai berry which contains plenty of flavonoids which are group that are referred to as antioxidants. Other foods that are no classified as Superfoods are flax-seeds, colostrums, blue-green Algae, Chlorella supplements, ginger, Royal jelly, Gobi berries, and Salmon roe.

Why should dark chocolate be added to this list? Cocoa and dark chocolate naturally contain ingredients that are essential for maintaining good health like magnesium, potassium and copper. The average bar of chocolate can provide twelve percent of the daily magnesium requirement which is the mineral that helps prevent cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type '2' diabetes. Cocoa and dark chocolate actually have a higher antioxidant amount than cranberries or blueberries. The antioxidants are in a concentrated form in the dark chocolate and cocoa making them a real life Superfood. The cocoa bean possesses a high concentration of stearic acid which actually changes the bad fats in the blood into good fats so that the body can metabolize them.

Because chocolate made from the cocoa bean is a plant-based food it does not have bad cholesterol. It is loaded with antioxidants that help the body by promoting a better flow of blood which eases the strain on the heart when pumping blood. It also helps to reduce plaque from being built-up in the arteries.

ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity) is the measurement for antibiotic ingredients in foods. The latest statistics show that raisins, almonds, and red grapes have around 1500 ORAC levels while cranberries and strawberries have around 5000 ORAC levels. Blueberries have 8708 ORAC and natural cocoa has 8260 ORAC. Dark chocolate has 9080 ORAC while black plums have 10,350

ORAC levels. As you can see, dark chocolate is right up there with the best of them.
Adding three squares of a large dark chocolate bar to your daily intake will add a few extra calories but it will also add antioxidants and vital minerals that your body desperately needs. One serving or three squares of a large 6.8 oz. dark chocolate bar is 36 g. and 170 calories. There is no bad cholesterol plus 8 percent daily fiber and 10 percent iron. As in all things in life, the key here is moderation. Chocolate may not be officially considered a Superfood but looking at the statistics it is a mystery why it is considered a 'no no' to most people.