The Only Candy You Should Eat This Halloween
By
Natalie Moore
Posted October 22, 2016
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
Spider-shaped doughnuts, mummy-shaped cookies and vampire-themed cupcakes…
These are just a sampling of the confectionary frights that surface during the Halloween season.
And while finding yourself in midst of ghost-shaped marshmallows and candy corn may seem like the least scary part of the holiday, the truth is these sugary treats could be your worst nightmare.
You see, sugar is the ghoul behind many health problems like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and memory issues. Indulging in these festive treats may bring you one step closer to one of these deadly conditions.
But that doesn’t mean you have to skip on the candy this season…
There is one decadent treat that not only satisfies your sweet tooth, but also boosts your heart and brain health while also providing you with vital nutrients and antioxidants.
The Darker the Better
The candy is dark chocolate.
And it’s so nutritionally superior to its high-fructose syrup-filled counterparts, it really shouldn’t be called candy at all.
Dark chocolate is full of vitamins and minerals. In fact, a tiny 1-ounce serving of 70–85% cocoa dark chocolate contains the following percentages of your recommended daily intake of several minerals:
But the healthy compounds in dark chocolate aren’t limited to minerals.
Dark chocolate is also rich in heart-protecting antioxidants like polyphenols and flavanols. These compounds may help improve blood pressure and fight against the development of calcified plaque in your arteries.
One study showed that folks who ate dark chocolate two or more times a week decreased their risk of calcified plaque building up in their arteries by an amazing 32 percent! And the good heart news doesn’t stop there…
Another study showed that eating chocolate five or more times a week can lower your risk of heart disease by a whopping 57 percent! Plus, dark chocolate can reduce insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for both heart disease and diabetes.
This means eating dark chocolate two–five times a week could significantly improve your heart health, which in turn would also boost your overall health.
In addition to having heart health powers, dark chocolate also helps your brain. Studies have shown that dark chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain as well as improve the cognitive function in elderly people suffering from mental impairment.
And while dark chocolate has tons of health benefits, it can come loaded with sugar if you get the wrong type. Be sure to choose organic, extra-dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70%, and keep in mind that the higher the cocoa content, the higher the health content.
If you want a real treat, try a dark chocolate bar that contains cacao nibs.
Cacao nibs are the cacao beans that have been roasted but not processed. They add a nice crunch and a hint of fruity flavor to a dark chocolate bar, and since they are unprocessed, these little beans are packed with antioxidants. This means eating dark chocolate with nibs is a tasty way to double down on your antioxidant intake.
Whether you go with nibs or not is up to you. Just make sure the only candy in your trick-or-treat bag is organic dark chocolate.
Live well,
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
Sources
[1] Candies, chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids Nutrition Facts & Calories
[2] 7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Written By Natalie Moore
Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.
View More Free Articles
This Sleep Mistake Is Doubling Your Disease Risk
Think your inconsistent bedtime is just a harmless habit? Think again. New research reveals that going to bed at different times each night isn’t just making you tired—it could be dramatically increasing your risk of serious diseases. But the key to making sure poor sleep doesn’t derail your health goals likely isn’t what you think…....
Stop Obsessing Over Diet Trends
Can we stop with the endless diet debates already? Every other week there’s a new headline shouting about which diet is best for weight loss, heart health, or diabetes. Paleo, keto, low-carb, high-protein… it’s exhausting. And now, a new meta-analysis is out comparing the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and something called AHEI (that’s “Alternative...
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...