We all love chocolate, it has a great taste and it can change your mood. Some people may don’t like dark chocolate a lot due to its bitter taste. But when they know the unbelievable benefits of dark chocolate, they’ll eat it daily.
Dark chocolate is delicious and more beneficial to your health. Also, dark chocolate benefits are countless as cocoa is loaded with minerals like zinc, iron, and copper. And it contains vitamins like vitamin A, B12, and K.
Moreover, cocoa is a powerful source of antioxidants that can fight free radicals. Antioxidants have a good effect on your health, skin, and hair.
Dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate because it contains large amounts of cacao. But milk chocolate contains milk and too much sugar which can cause health problems.
Dark Chocolate Benefits For Skin
Eating dark chocolate every day can hydrate your skin. It can provide the skin with its needs for nutrients. Dark chocolate can moisturize and protect your skin. So here are some dark chocolate benefits for skin:
1- Moisturizes Your Skin
Dark chocolate is loaded with proteins and minerals like zinc and magnesium. So it can nourish and moisturize your skin perfectly.
Also, Cocoa softens your skin that’s why you find a lot of moisturizers contain cocoa butter.
2- Protects The Skin
Regular exposure to sunlight causes serious health problems like skin cancer. Dark chocolate contains a group of antioxidants like flavonols, polyphenols, and catechins.
Flavanols in dark chocolate can protect the skin from sun damage. It can also reduce the skin’s roughness and improve blood circulation.
So eating dark chocolate on a regular basis protect the skin from UV and UVB rays.
3- Heals Scars
Dark chocolate contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that heal scars. Also, it contains caffeine which keeps your skin healthy and renews skin cells.
Cacao is rich in minerals and vitamins that hydrate and improve your skin. So regular consumption of dark chocolate helps heal scars fast.
4- Reduces Wrinkles And Fine lines
Cacao helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines due to its antioxidant properties. Cacao contains antioxidants more than any other food.
Antioxidants reduce free radicals damage and make your skin look younger. So antioxidants in dark chocolate play an important role in reducing wrinkles.
Also, cacao is rich in magnesium which boosts collagen production in your body.
5- Decrease Stress Levels
Stress causes collagen breakdown in the skin which makes your skin feel rough. Also, stress makes you look much older than your actual age. And it causes wrinkles.
Regular consumption of dark chocolate can reduce stress levels. And it can also boost your mood.
6- Loaded With Nutrients
Dark chocolate is rich in vitamins, proteins, fats, and minerals. It contains copper, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin k.
So eating it every day can provide your body with its daily needs. Also, all these nutrients add glow to your skin.
7- Can Improve Skin Complexion
Cacao can hydrate and soften your skin. Dark chocolate contains vitamins That boost collagen production. Vitamins and minerals in dark chocolate smooth fine lines and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
Also, they enhance skin quality and remove dead skin cells. So dark chocolate can improve skin texture and makes it supple.
8- Can Make Your Skin Glow
Dark chocolate contains flavanols that can improve blood circulation. Also, it increases skin density and keeps your skin hydrated.
As I said earlier, dark chocolate can change your mood and decrease stress levels. So this can help you get glowing skin. And it keeps your skin looking healthy and young.
Dark Chocolate Benefits For Hair
1- Stimulates Hair Growth
You should eat healthy food full of nutrients to have a healthy scalp and strong hair.
Because dark chocolate is rich in minerals and vitamins, it can promote hair growth. It also increases blood flow to the scalp.
So it makes your hair look healthier and stronger. Cacao can also add volume to your hair and give it a boost of gloss.
2- Prevents Scalp Infections
Dark chocolate has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These properties reduce scalp infections and maintain a healthy scalp. Also, a healthy scalp is a key to healthy strong hair.
3- Reduces Hair Loss
Dark chocolate contains vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc that help prevent hair loss. Iron can prevent hair thinning and discoloration. Also, vitamin A increases oxygen flow to the scalp.
Zinc helps keep your scalp clean and fight dandruff. So dark chocolate encourages cell renewal in the scalp and stimulates hair growth.
4- Sun Damage
Another benefit of dark chocolate is its ability to protect your hair and scalp from sun damage. It has all the beneficial properties to keep your hair strong. And these properties help also nourish and hydrate the scalp.
Dark Chocolate Hair Mask
First Method
You’ll need:
- Half cup of yogurt.
- One tablespoon of honey.
- 4-6 cubes of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao).
Melt the chocolate then add yogurt and honey to it. When the mixture cools down, apply it to your hair. Let it stay for about 40 minutes then shampoo your hair.
Second Method
You’ll need:
- 4-6 cubes of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao).
- One mashed banana.
- One tablespoon of honey.
Melt the dark chocolate then add the mashed banana and honey to it. Apply the mixture to your hair when it cools. Leave it for 30-40 minutes. Then shampoo your hair.
Eating Dark Chocolate
A bar of dark chocolate ( 70-85% cacao ) contains 604 calories and 43g of fats. This means you may put on weight if you overeat dark chocolate. So you should not eat more than 40g of dark chocolate daily.
When you go to the market, choose the bar that contains a high percentage of cacao. The best dark chocolate bar contains at least 70% of cacao. Read this article to help you choose the best dark chocolate bar.