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The Benefits of Chocolate ....

Chocolate is a winner to Stella Bistro Foods for many reasons.Chocolate has an inspiring role in sauce dishes, like mole sauce, or our vegan brownies.


Chocolate has many facets beyond coating peanut butter or being added to a traditional cookie.


Chocolate is extracted from Theobrama cacao trees. Theobrama cacao trees produce chocolate pods from spring flowers. Chocolate has been dated back to the Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica.


Chocolate is processed through being crushed, mashed, extracted and fermented for seven days. Manufacturers compress the seeds of the chocolate fruit to part from cocoa butter and cocoa solids.


According to Livestrong, milk chocolate contains 7 to 15% cocoa. Dark chocolate contains 30 to 70% cocoa.

There's many types and varieties of chocolate. Whether you're a fan of semi-sweet or bittersweet, milk chocolate and dark chocolate are two most popular of Theobrama trees.



Photo credit: The Wall Street Journal


Cacao is a versatile sweet doesn't receive enough credit - chocolate has as many benefits as there's shades, colors and flavors of the popular sweetness.



A 2016 report in Clinical Nutrition showed consuming two to six servings of types of chocolate can provide ideal health benefits.

Grab a chocolate snack and indulge on these known facts:


Eating chocolate fights cell damage.


Eating chocolate can protect your skin from free radicals and oxidative damage. Consuming chocolate in moderate can help get rid of body toxins.


One study found women that who were given chocolate with antioxidant content were able to withstand twice the amount of ultraviolet light.


Eating chocolate can increase brain power.


Chocolate contains flavonol compounds. Flavonol compounds help keep your memory stimulated as you age! Remember your co-worker's name or better your baseball swing with eating chocolate!


Caffeine is present in both dark and milk chocolate. Both caffeine and flavonols work together to improve awareness. Flavonols found in chocolate can help in endorphin development.


A report in the Journal of Hypertension compared dark and milk chocolate. The comparison showed participants who consumed chocolate two hours prior to bed had improved alertness. In short, dark chocolate caused a larger increase in blood flow to the brain.


According to Medical News Today, scientists at Harvard Medical School recommended drinking two cups of hot chocolate daily can keep the brain healthy and reduce memory loss.


Hot chocolate, as a beverage, aides in blood flow to the brain as needed.



Photo credit: Wattpad


Eating chocolate can lessen depression symptoms.


Healthy endorphin development can prevent depression and other mental disorders. Theobromine is a beneficial compound found in dark chocolate to lessen depression symptoms.


A 2018 report in Jama Opthalmology showed dark chocolate can improve psychological brain function.


According to Eco Watch, anadamide is a mood booster compound found in dark chocolate. Anadamide is an ideal property that is similar to THC, but hasn't been under observation to prove dark chocolate is as effective. Phenethylamine is also a mood boost chemical found in dark chocolate which can also transforms to serotonin.


Different chocolates, different benefits.


Which chocolate is more beneficial, you ask?


Dark chocolate contains higher antioxidant potency due to lower fat, less sugar and higher cacao purity than milk chocolate. A 2016 report in Food Chemistry showed dark chocolate has more antioxidants than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has greater amounts of procyanidins and phenols.

Milk chocolate has a similar concept of white chocolate. Though milk chocolate is contains similar antioxidant properties, the cacao content influences the health benefits.


White chocolate consist of milk, sugar, cocoa butter, but doesn't have cocoa solids. Therefore,this caffeine free sweet is not considered chocolate. White chocolate does not have the same benefits of dark chocolate.



The answer ?


DARK CHOCOLATE.



Photo credit: Very Well Fit

Dark chocolate contains four times more fiber than milk chocolate.


Yes, this means you can indulge and not risk weight gain.


Dark chocolate contains iron, magnesium, copper and manganese, based on 70% to 85% cacao.


According to Life Hack, dark chocolate contains zinc, selenium and potassium.


You can add chocolate to your daily diet in many ways!


Add richness to your morning smoothie with cacao powder. Add pure cacao powder to your batter mixtures for rich brownies or morning flapjacks.





Intensify the flavor of your cacao of choice with Stella Bistro Foods Autumn Sultry Spice!


Stella Bistro Foods Autumn Flair Sultry Spice is great for new lovers of chocolate as well as a "taste spruce" for various chocolate lovers. Blended with harvest spices and vegan sugars, Stella Bistro Foods Autumn Spice will please your crowd any meal of the day.


Indulge without guilt - enjoy!!

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