Dark Chocolate - A Healthy Snack Option

Chocolate....12 billion people eat chocolate every day. It is considered a treat, a dessert, even a guilty pleasure. But is it really that bad for you? The evidence is coming in daily that disputes that thought. Many studies are finding that dark chocolate can actually be very good for you. That's right, eating the right kind of dark chocolate can have many beneficial effects on your body. The reason for this is because dark chocolate contains a high amount of antioxidants in it. Here are just a few of the health benefits:

- Helps in lowering your blood pressure
- Protects the body from the effects of free radicals
- Contains serotonin which acts as an antidepressant
- Helps in lowering your cholesterol by reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol

There are a few things to keep in mind though when selecting a "healthy" chocolate. Chocolate that is highly processed and alkalinized may contain:

- High amounts of sugar
- High amounts of fat and fillers
- Low amounts of antioxidants

Therefore, knowing what is in the dark chocolate you are eating, and how it is processed is a must, if you want to eat it for the health benefits. It has been shown that heating the chocolate during the processing actually destroys the antioxidants. Hence, you will want to eat chocolate that is cold-pressed when processed. This type of chocolate will retain the highest amounts of antioxidants and be the most beneficial to your body. One such chocolate is Xocai, manufactured by MXI Corp. They disclose that they use a cold-pressed, non-alkalinized process in creating their chocolate. They have also stated that this chocolate is low in fat and made with a complex sugar, rather than highly processed and refined white sugar. Another important thing to consider.

All in all, it is clear that dark chocolate does have health benefits that make it a worthy dessert. Moderation is also the key. Just as in anything you eat, too much of it can outweigh the health benefits so use your best judgment.

To learn about other benefits from the New Healthy Chocolate, visit John's Xocai website or blog.

Author: John Lovell is an avid sportsman and advocate for healthy living.

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