Whether you’re trying to lose weight or you just need a sweet treat after a long day, dark chocolate is your friend.

Dark chocolate is full of nutrients and it offers amazing benefits for your health. Quality dark chocolates are rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals.

To learn more about the health benefits of dark chocolate, keep reading.

1. Reduce blood pressure levels

 Dark chocolate has bioactive compounds found in cocoa that can improve blood flow in the arteries. This cause a small but statistically important decrease in blood pressure. Studies have shown that eating dark chocolate appears to help improve artery function and decrease blood pressure levels.

2. Support brain function

If you feel like you need a little bit of brain boost, eating dark chocolate is one of the answers. In a study where healthy volunteers spent five days consuming high-flavanol cocoa, the participants showed improved blood flow to the brain.

In older people with mental impairment, cocoa may also significantly boost cognitive function. It can also improve verbal fluency. While caffeine and theobromine, which are stimulant substances found in cocoa can also improve brain function in the short term.

3. Reduce risk of heart disease

There are observational studies that show a big reduction in heart disease risk for people who consume dark chocolate.

For example, in one study of 470 elderly men, cocoa was found to decrease the chances of cardiovascular death by half over a 15-year period.

According to another study, eating chocolate  two or more times per week lowered the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by a whopping 32 per cent!

4. Helps protect skin

If you want to improve your complexion, don’t be afraid to include dark chocolate in your diet. The bioactive compounds in cocoa is great for your skin. The flavanoids that comes with dark chocolate helps protect against sun damage, improve blood flow, and increase skin density and hydration.

Do you love dark chocolate? If not, would you consider switching to dark chocolate to boost your health?