You may be saying to yourself, how can this be true, because we all know chocolate is 'bad' for us, it is high in calories and sugar how can it have any benefit for my health or my PCOS.
Firstly, I am not saying you need to live off chocolate or eat chocolate everyday, I am saying that eating a certain type of chocolate every now and then can be good for your health.
What type of chocolate?
Dark Chocolate! Dark chocolate is the answer to all of your questions. It not only offers a whole host of health benefits, it is also delicious and can satisfy your sweet tooth.
What is it that makes chocolate healthy?
Cocoa is a rich source of dietary polyphenols and it is the polyphenols that are good for human health and disease.
What are Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are phytochemicals, which found in natural plant sources and are known for their antioxidant properties.
What are the Benefits of Chocolate?
1.Increases insulin sensitivity
A study showed participants that took flavanol-rich dark chocolate (100 g/day for 15 days) showed a decrease insulin resistance and an increase insulin sensitivity.
2.Reduces Stress
Research suggests that eating 40 g of Dark and Milk chocolate daily can be an effective way to reduce perceived stress.
3.Reduces the risk of heart disease
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study showing that incorporating half an ounce of dark chocolate to an average American diet is enough to increase total antioxidant capacity 4 percent, and lessen oxidation of LDL cholesterol.
- Increases serotonin and may help with weight loss
Cocoa stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin regulates your mood and helps suppress your appetite, which in turn will help you eat fewer calories overall.
Make Sure..
*Look for a cocoa content of 70 percent
*Avoid chocolate that says "processed with alkali”, this process causes the chocolate to have less flavanols.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3488419/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4350893/
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/9/1671.long
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790109/
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/215S.full
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/chocolates-startling-heal_b_825978.html
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Author Despina, owner of PCOS Oracle
https://www.pcosoracle.com is an educational, informative and motivational website. The main focus of the website is for women who suffer from PCOS. The blog is dedicated to offering information on how women can heal their body and how PCOS can be managed. The content is full of information on nutrition for women with PCOS, to an array of recipes that are healthy and PCOS friendly but also motivational and inspirational posts. However, the website also offers further educational information on other health and fitness topics that are beneficial for anybody and everybody that is interested or looking to understand and learn about nutrition.