Info about Chocolates
Dark chocolate
Simply thinking about chocolate and I already have a dry sensation in my mouth. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like chocolate and if there is really anyone in this wide world not the like it, he is definitely an exception. There are several types of chocolate, depending on the amount of cocoa that is used, which changes the taste, or example there is the dark chocolate, the same thing as the sweetish chocolate, the extra dark one, which is kind of bitter. Chocolate is made all over the world, after different recipes, on different quantities and in all sort f combination, some common, like hazelnuts, different sorts of creams or simple milk chocolate, or extreme combinations like pepper or mint chocolate, to emphasize the taste and make it unique.
The plain chocolate, also known as black or dark chocolate, is made by adding fat and sugar to cocoa and it has no or very little milk in it, much less than milk chocolate. The European rules require that this type of chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa, but they also come with 85% or even 99% cocoa and the ones which are made of more cocoa are more expensive. Dark chocolate can be eaten as it is, in bars or it can be used for cooking, delicious cakes or creams being made out if it, in numerous combinations for all tastes.
Usually, people make a wrong association between chocolate and forbidden food. Everybody loves it, but eat it in moderate quantities, being afraid they will put on weight. The good news is it is not the case with dark chocolate, which can be good for us, improving the cardiovascular health. Together with green tea or blueberries, dark chocolate sits in the “good- for- you” category, being packed with natural antioxidants. The explanation derives from the fact that dark chocolate is made of cocoa beans, which grow in the cocoa tree, full of natural plant nutrients. These are cell protecting antioxidants that promote good health and protect the body, and all this because chocolate is a plant based food, even if so many people are surprised to find this out. The greatest advantage of antioxidants in dark chocolate is the fact that they reduce the blood pressure and improve the level of cholesterol. Studies also show that it makes the arteries more flexible, delivering blood efficiently through the body, reducing the strain on the heart. Dark chocolate has a mild anti- blood clotting effect and preventing the building- up of plague that clogs the arteries.
Moreover, although we put it in the “sweets” category, it has a low glycemic index, improving the cells sensibility to insulin and glucose. One other benefit of dark chocolate is the fact that it contains copper, which helps absorbing iron in our bodies. An average chocolate bar can deliver up to 25% of the magnesium dose we have to consume every day and it reduces the risk of several diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension.