Read on to find what you’ll reap from your favorite chocolate desserts, like Chocolate-covered strawberries, Hot chocolate bombs, Truffles, and Flourless spiced hot chocolate cake (yes, please). And a quick word to the wise: Going overboard on the sugary stuff will counteract cacao’s health-promoting properties. For the biggest flavonoid bang for your caloric buck, Gellman recommends choosing high quality, semi-sweet dark chocolate with the highest cocoa content that suits your palate. “I recommend 70-85 percent cacao; but the higher the percentage, the more bitter it may taste.” Insulin is a hormone secreted by our pancreas that controls the amount of glucose in our bloodstream. It also helps to store glucose in our fat, muscles, and liver as well as regulate our overall metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Insulin is what is lacking or hindered in diabetics and pre-diabetics. Basically, insulin sensitivity is an important part of our body’s proper response to food. “Research has suggested that people who eat a moderate amount of dark chocolate at least once a week had a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Studies have also shown that those with type 2 diabetes who consumed moderate amounts of dark chocolate had lower blood pressure and decreased blood-sugar levels compared to those who ate white chocolate.” Still, chocolate sparks serious joy, which certainly counts for something.
