Benefits Of Clean Chocolate

Benefits Of Clean Chocolate

chocolate bars

What if we told you chocolate was, dare we say … healthy? Yes, we are so serious. It’s a superfood. A clean chocolate can actually boast huge health benefits. Even better? It’s even cleanse-approved. This could just be the best news of the entire year.

The health benefits of chocolate that is made from high-quality cacao (chocolate is made from cacao beans) are varied and impressive. It’s loaded with free-radical-fighting antioxidants, B vitamins, magnesium and more. Dark chocolate has been shown to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, raise serotonin levels, improve cardiovascular health and brain function, lower inflammation, and more.

What’s the catch?

Here’s the thing: we’re not talking about just any regular sugar and dairy-filled milk chocolate. The quality of the chocolate that you consume makes all the difference. Where you get your chocolate from, how it was made, what other ingredients were added to it – all of it matters.

This is where our brand new Clean Chocolate comes in.

Clean Chocolate is plant-based (dairy-free), raw, sweetened with only low glycemic coconut sugar (a cleanse-approved sweetener due to its antioxidants, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and minimally processed nature), and made from just a few simple ingredients. Clean chocolate is also fair trade and sustainably sourced from organic cacao farms.

Benefits Of Chocolate

Cacao is one of the richest sources of polyphenols in the world, along with green tea. Dark chocolate contains magnesium, which the majority of Americans are deficient in – think stress, poor diet, and too much caffeine. Cacao also contains other amazing nutrients and minerals including vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, C, D, and E and calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and phosphorus.

Cacao is high in heart-healthy flavanols which are proven to help improve blood flow. This helps lower blood pressure, ease inflammation, and protect cardiovascular health. Some studies suggest that flavanols in chocolate may also help lower diabetes risk by increasing insulin sensitivity. A study published in 2012 showed that daily consumption of cocoa flavanols was associated with improved thinking skills in older adults.

Additionally, dark chocolate made with at least 70 percent cacao has been proven to lower cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. Another molecule in chocolate called phenylethylamine can act like a gentle antidepressant. Chocolate is rich in serotonin precursors which help the body produce serotonin. Serotonin, a brain chemical that promotes feelings of happiness, is integral to psychological well being and is in charge of mood, sleep, and appetite.

We think you’ll really like it

The Clean Chocolate bar is raw, meaning that the cacao is not roasted or heated above 150°F during processing. Avoiding high temperatures during processing means the flavor, antioxidants, and overall nutritional profile of our chocolate bar are enhanced and preserved. Join us while we have our chocolate and eat it too.

SOURCES:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4696435/ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cocoa-sweet-treat-brain-201502057676 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22892813 http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/60/3/794.long https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3904499


Written by Hannah Aylward

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