Reasons to Indulge in Dark Chocolate

Chocolate craving accounts for 49% of food cravings (1). Who doesn't love a piece of dark chocolate melting in their mouth with a hint of sweetness? Thanks to cocoa butter in chocolate, we can enjoy the ultimate oral sensation. Another main component of chocolate is cocoa liquor, which is referred to as "percent cacao" on the food package. Cacao beans in cacao fruits (see picture below) undergo fermentation, drying, roasting, conching, tempering, and molding to become cocoa liquor. In addition to its sensational taste and complex processing, chocolate with at least 55% cacao content (aka dark chocolate) has numerous health benefits. Here are three reasons to indulge in a piece of chocolate today.

• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19775307