How to Lower Cholesterol with Dark Chocolate

How to Reduce Cholesterol with Dark Chocolate in a healthy and natural way.  In addition, Dark Chocolate  is loaded with nutrients that can positively help reduce “bad” cholesterol in the body. Made from the seeds of the cocoa tree , it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet.

How Dark Chocolate Improves Cholesterol Levels:  Studies show that Dark Chocolate  (sugar-free chocolate) can improve health and reduce the risk of heart disease, it also helps regulate Cholesterol Levels , increase cholesterol levels good and helps reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Dark Chocolate  is very nutritious. If you buy a quality semisweet chocolate  with a high cocoa content , your diet will be quite nutritious. Semisweet Chocolate   contains a good amount of fiber and minerals that make it the ideal product to improve cholesterol levels .

Nutritional Value of Dark Chocolate:  A 100 grams bar of Dark Chocolate  contains:

• 11 grams of fiber ;
• 67% grams of Iron ;
• 58% grams of Magnesium ;
• 89% grams of Copper ;
• 98% grams of Manganese ;
• It also contains Potassium , Phosphorus , Zinc and Selenium .

The fatty acid profile of cocoa  and semisweet chocolate  are excellent. Fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They also contain stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine, but the caffeine in chocolate is unlikely to  keep you from sleeping, as the amount is very small compared to coffee.

Dark Chocolate is a Powerful Antioxidant:  Have you ever heard of a measure called ORAC?
ORAC stands for “oxygen radical absorbing capacity”. It is a measure of antioxidant activity in foods. Basically, researchers from a group of free radicals assess how antioxidants in food can disarm them.

• The biological importance of this measurement is questioned, as it is done in a test tube and may not have the same effect on the body.
• However, I think it’s worth mentioning that, cocoa  beans are among the healthiest processed foods that have been proven.
• Dark Chocolate  is loaded with organic compounds that are biologically active and function as antioxidants. These include polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, among others.
• One study showed that cocoa  and semisweet chocolate  contain more antioxidant activity, polyphenols and flavonoids than other fruits such as blackberries  and acai berries .

Dark Chocolate Raises HDL and Lowers LDL:  Consumption of Dark Chocolate  can decrease several important risk factors for heart disease. In a controlled study, it was found to significantly reduce bad cholesterol . It also increased HDL and reduced LDL in men with high cholesterol levels .

It contains a lot of powerful antioxidants that travel through the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative damage caused by bad cholesterol  in the blood.
Dark Chocolate  can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for many diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Bottom line: Dark Chocolate  improves several important health risk factors. It also reduces the susceptibility of bad cholesterol  to oxidative damage, while HDL improves insulin sensitivity.