With the U.S. Halloween holiday just around, your sweet tooth may be on high alert these days. Before you succumb to that bowl of Hershey’s bars on the receptionist’s desk, consider the benefits of dark chocolate.
In a workshop I attended with Dr. Andrew Weil a couple of years ago, he set out the many benefits of dark chocolate. I used to be a Snickers and Kit Kat kind of guy, but since that workshop I’ve eaten mainly dark chocolate to sate my sweet tooth.
If you want to just run down to the store and buy some dark chocolate right now, feel free. But if you’re curious about the benefits it offers, here’s why dark chocolate sits atop Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid:
- It provides polyphenols, which are the same kind of anti-oxidants found in green tea and red wine.
- Its fat is mostly stearic acid, which won’t elevate your cholesterol levels.
- It contains flavonoids that promote heart health by reducing platelet stickiness, which inhibits blood clotting and reduces the risk of coronary artery blockage.
- It can make your blood vessels more flexible. A research study found that the cells that line the blood-vessel walls functioned better for several hours after the subjects ate dark chocolate.
Dr. Weil recommends selecting dark chocolate that has at least 70% cocoa content (I prefer 85% and higher) and limiting your consumption to one ounce a day (I thought this would be unachievable, but I have come to enjoy slowly nibbling one or two squares of a Green & Black’s chocolate bar after dinner.
Today’s Sources & Resources
- Dr. Andrew Weil’s web site offers a ton of good information on the benefits of dark chocolate (as well as info on many other health topics).
- Chocosphere is a good one-stop-shopping source for dark chocolate bars.
About the Author
Larry Swanson is a massage therapist in downtown Seattle, WA. His practices focuses on the unique needs of office workers and also includes injury treatment for sports and car-accident injuries as well as massage for wellness and athletic performance.