Can you add chocolate to a keto diet?

( Natural News ) Chocolate is a decadent food often associated with sweet desserts and snacks. Many people love the rich taste of chocolate and the feelings of happiness and pleasure it stimulates. Although considered a superfood – dark chocolate, that is – chocolate contains lots of calories, which can make you gain weight. On the other hand, it is also a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants and offers a variety of health benefits. So should people on a diet really avoid chocolate? Or can it somehow be added to a calorie-restricting diet such as a keto diet ? What’s good about chocolate Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree ( Theobroma cacao ) which are first dried and fermented to produce cocoa beans. These beans are then processed into either chocolate blocks, liquid chocolate, or chocolate paste. Depending on the amount of processing it undergoes, the resulting chocolate can either be light or dark. Light chocolate, also known as milk chocolate, is more processed – so much of the cocoa it contains has been heavily diluted. Dark chocolate , meanwhile, is relatively unrefined, so it contains more of the beneficial components originally found in cocoa. Milk chocolate also has more sugar mixed into it, so many people find it more palatable than the bitter dark variety. Although tainted with the stigma of causing weight gain, chocolate can provide plenty of health benefits. According to studies, chocolate has cholesterol-lowering properties and can even help reduce memory decline in the elderly. When eaten in moderation, chocolate even helps lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Some studies also suggest that, contrary to popular belief, eating chocolate actually helps decrease body fat and waist circumference . Discover how to prevent and reverse heart disease (and other […]

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