5 Health Benefits for Chocolate Lovers in Perimenopause
Because estrogen has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, peri/menopausal women are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Chocolate can keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. The secret lies in chocolate’s flavonoids, a heart-healthy antioxidant that combats free radicals.Â
2. Chocolate can help you focus
Eating chocolate is connected with better brain function. First, chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain, which supports better brain function. And second, chocolate flavonoids prevent the death of brain cells, reducing the risk of developing dementia. If you have trouble with brain fog, including dark chocolate in your food choices can help keep you focused.
3. Chocolate can prevent sun damage
The loss of estrogen reduces the production of dark pigment cells, making the skin in midlife more susceptible to sun damage. Eating a bar (85g) of dark chocolate weekly can protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
4. Chocolate can improve your mood
Eating chocolate has been shown to reduce Depression and improve mood, although it’s not really known how that works. One possible explanation is that chocolate helps boost serotonin levels, the neurotransmitter responsible for the feel-good factor.
5. Chocolate is nutritious
Eating chocolate with high cocoa content will provide you with a high dose of vitamin K, magnesium, and iron. Chocolate is also high in oleic acid, which helps lower bad cholesterol levels.
The good news is that chocolate’s many health benefits outweigh possible risk factors. Just make sure to choose your chocolate wisely. Dark chocolate, and especially cocoa powder, contains considerably more nutrients and antioxidants than milk chocolate. And finding chocolate that is not sweetened with sugar is best. Stevia is probably the best tasting sweetener for chocolate. I can recommend Lily’s Extremely Dark Chocolate (85% cacao) in the green wrapping, and Kiss My Keto Dark Chocolate https://bit.ly/3AXT9zX sweetened with stevia.
If you have questions, you are invited to book a free call so we can discuss your situation.
Do you love chocolate? Have you ever felt guilty about the chocolate that you eat? Well, it’s time to pack away that guilt because there are several studies that connect health benefits in perimenopause (and beyond) to chocolate. Not any chocolate will do, but here are some great benefits to support eating dark chocolate.
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