September 13 is International Chocolate Day and we want you to celebrate it as it deserves! To do this, we tell you how to choose a healthy chocolate and what benefits it will provide you.
Choose a good chocolate
Not all chocolates are harmful to your health nor are all dark chocolate bars healthy. Since chocolate is a mixture of cocoa and sugar, the most important thing to choose a good bar is to look at the amount of cocoa it contains. It must be the main ingredient and be present in a percentage greater than 75%. This way you will take advantage of its benefits without incorporating a large amount of sugars.
Cocoa, a very ancient superfood
Cocoa is the fruit of the tree Cacao tree or Theobroma cacao, native to America. For consumption, the seeds are extracted from the inside, fermented, dried, toasted and ground to obtain the cocoa paste used in foods such as chocolate. It contains a large number of properties and that is not something new. In fact, the Mayan civilization already saw its nutritional value and it was even considered as a medicinal ingredient. It is rich in fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals (iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium), theobromine (like caffeine but without a stimulating effect) and, above all, in flavonoids. Thanks to this, it is considered a very energetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory superfood, ideal for well-being.
The benefits of cocoa
Its number of properties and its high nutritional value provide multiple health benefits by taking between 1 and 2 ounces a day:
- Improves elasticity, hydration and natural photo-protection of the skin.
- It is a natural antidepressant: It improves mood, humor, pleasure and sexual desire.
- Reduces stress.
- Thanks to flavonoids, it reduces blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Increases memory and cognitive functions.
- Regulates intestinal transit and produces a satiating, diuretic and relaxing effect.
- Prevents oxidative stress diseases: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cataracts.
- Provides energy.
At GGcare, we want to remind you of the importance of taking a break and what's better than accompanying it with an ounce of chocolate, right?
So, choose a good chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa and don't hesitate to enjoy it and its benefits daily!
