Dark Chocolate: For a Healthier, Happier Life

Here at NuGo Nutrition, we’re pretty darn proud of the fact that our NuGo Dark bars are made with REAL dark chocolate (made only from cocoa beans). You know, instead of that vegetable fat (palm oil) most nutrition bars are coated with. Of course, using real dark chocolate is tough for many reasons: For one thing, it is difficult to ship our bars in the heat of summer. And it’s also more expensive. But even with those drawbacks, using dark chocolate is well worth it to us. Why? Well, REAL dark chocolate can actually improve your health and happiness. And improving your life matters to us.

You probably hear that dark chocolate is good for you quite often. But do you know why? Here are just a few reasons:

Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that fight diseases: That’s right; dark chocolate can help fight off sickness and disease. It’s packed with antioxidant flavonoids called flavanols. What do these flavanols protect you against? Things like heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes. The flavonoids have also been proven to lower LDL (bad cholesterol), just like red wine does.

Dark chocolate can protect your skin: It might sound odd, but once again, it’s those flavonoids to the rescue (love those things!). They actually absorb UV light and help increase blood flow to the skin. Oh, and they may even improve your skin’s hydration, giving you an even more perfect complexion. Not that we’re vain or anything.

Dark chocolate could help your workout: This research is pretty new and some of our favorite yet. Studies have shown that the flavonoids found in dark chocolate may bind to receptors in muscles, helping them resist fatigue. Eat a little bit of dark chocolate and run farther? Sounds good to us.

Dark chocolate makes you happy: No really, it does. It actually contains serotonin, a natural mood-boosting anti-depressant. In addition, dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, making you even happier. And who couldn’t use a little bit of extra cheer?

Dark Chocolate tastes good: The simplest reason of all is also one of the most important. Wouldn’t you rather eat a nutrition bar that tastes good? As we say, Delicious has a dark side.

Not that you needed any more reasons to enjoy the REAL dark chocolate in NuGo bars, right?

Check out our full line of NuGo Dark and start living a happier, healthier life! And to see all NuGo bars that contain REAL dark chocolate, check out our full list.

What’s your favorite thing about dark chocolate?

(photo courtesy of flickr.com/johnloo)