It will improve your mood, support you after the training and provide you with important micronutrients – discover the amazing properties of dark chocolate

Dark, dessert or milk: chocolate needs no introduction. This popular confectionery made from cocoa paste, fat, and sugar, often with the addition of milk, has been on our menu for years. Although the common knowledge is that it does not go hand in hand with health and diet, on the World Chocolate Day it is worth dealing with harmful myths and getting to know its greatest advantages.

– Chocolate – only the dark one with a high cocoa content and consumed in moderate amounts – can have a positive effect on our health and wellbeing – explains Magdalena Łostowska, “Work Full Time” expert, nutritionist, and MultiSport trainer. – It is rich in polyphenols, catechins and anthocyanins, which are beneficial to our body. It also contains several important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and iron. It is the cocoa bean that is responsible for this pro-health effect so the greater its share in the composition of chocolate, the greater the content of beneficial ingredients and health value – explains the nutritionist.

Cocoa contained in dark chocolate can help in the fight against low mood. Research has shown that it reduces the susceptibility of the human body to depressive states by up to 70%.[2] It is worth emphasising that such effects were not observed in the case of milk chocolate.

What’s more, cocoa-rich dark chocolate is an important source of flavonoids – substances with beneficial effects on many systems in the body. Its positive effects have been proven, among others, in the case of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes and obesity.[3]

One recent study found that despite consuming nearly 550 kilocalories of chocolate a day for two weeks the subjects did not gain weight.[4] How was it possible? Scientists suggest that if we combine chocolate with additional sports activity or a reduced calorie diet it may not make us fat.

– Chocolate, even the milk one, will have impact on regeneration after intense physical exercise by rebuilding exhausted glycogen, which is a source of energy. An effective regenerative drink after training can be not only an isotonic drink but also... well-known chocolate milk – adds Magdalena Łostowska.

Is chocolate good for everything? Let’s leave the question unanswered. However, on the World Chocolate Day we can have a cube of this delicious, easily accessible “therapy” full of valuable nutrients with a clear conscience. It is worth remembering, though, that even such a tasty “therapy” should be used in moderation.