Dark chocolate: what is the difference between dark and bitter, useful properties

Nowadays, varieties of this product are difficult to count on the fingers. Chocolate is a delicacy that cannot be treated indifferently. It is difficult to meet people whose opinion about chocolate is negative.

During the day, people are exposed to a lot of stress, the result of which is considered a drop in mood. Chocolate is a real panacea for mood elevation. In the 19th century, it was considered an excellent antidepressant, and was even sold in pharmacies.

Types of dark chocolate

To prepare dark chocolate, manufacturers use the following components:

• cocoa powder;
• powdered sugar;
• cocoa butter.

Some types of this chocolate may be supplemented with:

• nuts;
• raisins;
• vanilla.

They give the delicacy a certain flavor touch. If you change the proportions of sugar and dark cocoa, the taste of the product will change, it will become sweet. Dark chocolate, which contains more cocoa powder, tastes bitter. When there is more sugar in the composition, the taste is sweet.

The shape and appearance of dark chocolate can be as follows:

1. In the form of bars - the same size bars, easily separated from each other.
2. Monolith - this type is not decorated in any way, consists of one whole piece.
3. Porous - the structure of this chocolate resembles holes filled with air.

According to the cocoa content, two types of dark chocolate can be distinguished:

• It contains 55% cocoa.
• The composition contains from 40 to 55% cocoa.

There are 2 main types of production technology:

• Ordinary chocolate.
• Dessert.

The difference between dark and dark chocolate

The main difference between the two types is considered to be the composition and recipe for cooking.

The main differences include:

1. Dark (black) products contain more sugar, while bitter products are dominated by cocoa beans.
2. The product in which the percentage of cocoa beans starts from 55-75% is considered to be bitter. For true lovers of this delicacy, the standard is chocolate, which is labeled 90-99%. For the dark variety is adopted the following percentage - 40-55. For white and milk chocolate, these percentages are even lower.
3. For people who keep in shape, bitter chocolate is preferable, since the manufacturer may add a lot of sugar to the dark chocolate.
4. Bitter chocolate differs from dark chocolate in its harsh taste, the latter will have a mild and sweet taste.
5. Black chocolate is more popular than bitter chocolate. The latter quickly becomes boring in taste.
6. Bitter chocolate is more expensive in most cases. But it all can depend on the manufacturer. The opposite is also true.

Which chocolate is healthier: dark or bitter?

Based on the above, comparing the two types of chocolate, we can understand that each of them has a number of beneficial properties for the human body. However, the bitter one is considered more useful and dietary, it has less sugar.

A side note! A variety in which the percentage of cocoa beans is equal to 90-99 is an elite variety.

Composition and calories

Guided by GOST, you can determine the composition of real chocolate. These are the 4 main ingredients:

• cocoa grated;
• cocoa butter;
• lecithin;
• powdered sugar.

Lecithin is a healthy additive that is good for human health. A good dark chocolate should contain 33-44% cocoa products. This treat melts in the mouth very quickly. And the aftertaste will be pleasant, with a hint of bitterness.

Dark chocolate, which contains 70-80% grated cocoa, includes:

• Carbohydrates, 48%.
• Fats - 44%.
• Protein 8%.

Among the minerals available in the composition:

• magnesium;
• calcium;
• potassium;
• some iron;
• phosphorus;
• sodium.

There are also vitamins B1 and B2, as well as PP, E.

If the content of cocoa powder in chocolate is 70-80%, then 100 grams of the product will contain approximately 550-600 calories. When the goal is to lose weight, you should limit yourself and eat no more than 5 grams of good dark chocolate. If you just need to maintain your figure, it is recommended to eat not more than 25 grams of sweets during the day, otherwise a pitiable weight gain will not be long in coming. Even if the chocolate is of excellent quality, no one cancelled the high caloric content. When a person adheres to a diet, it is best to exclude this product from the diet altogether. Otherwise, the result of weight loss in most cases can be forgotten.

What is useful for dark chocolate

General benefits

There are many unconfirmed speculations and myths, whether this delicacy is useful or harmful to health. But how is it really - who can consume this product without consequences for the body?

If we talk about a natural product, in which the content of all kinds of additives is reduced to a minimum, it will not cause harm to health, and on the contrary, if you use it in moderation, will contribute to its strengthening. The benefits of dark chocolate directly depends on the natural ingredients - the cocoa beans that make it up. The daily dose that benefits the body is 20 grams. The proper use of a delicacy:

• helps stimulate blood circulation in the brain;
• activates the hormone of joy;
• has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels;
• reduces the likelihood of a stroke;
• helps reduce cholesterol levels;
• is a good prophylactic for atherosclerosis;
• levels the blood pressure;
• Due to theobromine content in the composition helps to reduce cough outbreaks;
• Thanks to calcium, it helps strengthen bones.

Dark chocolate has a lot of health benefits. The main thing is not to abuse it and stick to the norm. This will help to improve performance, improve health. If you comply with the norm of consumption per day, the product:

• alleviates the feeling of hunger;
• helps relieve depression;
• helps improve brain function;
• In diseases of the gums reduces bleeding;
• With a deficiency in the body of magnesium, chromium, zinc makes up for it.

Other useful properties of this product:

1. The amount of antioxidants in this product is quite large. Because of this, people who regularly consume dark chocolate get protection for their skin from the harmful effects created by free radicals. The skin does not lose firmness, elasticity and softness.
2. Stressful situations (stress) have a bad effect on human skin. Dark chocolate helps to replenish depleted energy and fight stress, as it has inherent anti-stress properties. Thanks to this, your general well-being and skin tone will always be normal.
3. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids. They are inherent in strengthening blood vessels and preventing the risk of heart disease. Forget about the fact that there are such pathologies as heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease is not worth it. And the "sweet" prevention never hurts.
4. Many people do not believe this, but it is a fact. Dark chocolate is sweet, and there's no arguing that. But it can help balance blood glucose levels. In people who eat chocolate, their sugar levels stay normal. But the flavonoids in it help lower it.
5. If cholesterol is elevated in the blood, over time it can cause blockages in veins and arteries, impairing their function. Dark chocolate can be used to reduce hemoglobin and cholesterol levels in the blood and keep them normal.
6. Flavonoids in dark chocolate have been proven to stimulate blood flow to the brain. This is good for vision and helps improve visual memory.
7. Magnesium and copper, which are part of the dark chocolate, help in normalizing blood pressure.
8. This product is ideal for people who participate in sports. People who steadily drink a glass of this drink at the end of a workout evenly gain muscle mass. Throughout the day the athlete's companions will be vigor and strength.
9. During heavy workouts and business trips, dark chocolate helps to enrich the body with useful substances. If you consume a slice every day, you can increase your performance.
10. Although chocolate is said to be harmful to the teeth, it helps strengthen enamel due to its calcium content and creates a protective barrier against tooth decay.
11. Theobromine content in dark chocolate helps soothe the throat when you have a cough.

For women

1. Enhances mood. It contains magnesium, which is an antidepressant.
2. It relieves premenstrual syndrome. Dark chocolate serves as an analgesic and relieves symptoms. Sufficient 25 g.
3. Promotes prolongation of youth, because the sweet contains an antioxidant complex that slows the aging of the female body.

For men

Dark chocolate not only strengthens the immune system and restores the nervous system, but also has a positive effect on reproductive function. Regular consumption of natural dark chocolate helps to improve potency in men.

The sweet dessert is also considered an aphrodisiac, because it increases blood circulation in the body and accelerates the flow of blood to the genitals. Also, the sweet helps to speed up the heartbeat and excite the nervous system, as a result of which the potency improves. This happens thanks to the components that make up the composition:

1. Tryptophan - promotes sexual arousal.
2. Phenylethylamine affects the endings of the nerves and gives a signal to the brain, so that a man feels pleasure.
3. Theobromine increases the mood and prevents the occurrence of stress.
4. Dopamine - has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
5. Anandamide - helps to increase the sensitivity of erogenous zones, is responsible for feelings of pleasure.
6. Zinc - is involved in the production of the male sex hormone. Also, the substance helps to improve the quality of the ejaculate, which has a beneficial effect on sexual function during the planning of conception of a child.

During pregnancy.

When pregnant, eating chocolate is not a contraindication. Therefore, 3 pieces of sweet per day is the norm. Diabetes mellitus and allergies of various genesis should be completely excluded from the diet of this type of delicacy.

Scientists believe that due to the flavanoids, magnesium and theobromine contained in it, dark chocolate reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia. You can eat up to five servings a week.

When breastfeeding.

For a breastfeeding mother, the benefits of dark chocolate are very great because it contains a lot of nutrients. But when eating the treat, you need to follow some recommendations:

1. Immediately after childbirth, it is not recommended to consume the treat, because the age of the baby is very young. It is recommended to wait at least 2-3 months.
2. You should only eat the treat in the morning to monitor your baby's reaction to the new product.
3. It is constantly recommended to inspect the baby's skin in order to rule out allergic reactions and diathesis. If these signs appear, immediately exclude the use of sweets for a few days.
4. Only natural products should be used.
5. Along with chocolate, it is not recommended to introduce other new products.

For children

The benefits of dark chocolate for children are not so great. But, undoubtedly, there are positive aspects if you do not abuse this delicacy at an early age. Experts recommend consuming no more than 100 grams of the product per week during this period. If you do not adhere to these rules, overdoing it can only harm the child's body.

What is useful in dark chocolate for children:

1. The content of potassium and phosphorus in the treat will have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and nervous system of the child's body.
2. If the dark chocolate is of high quality, its consumption in moderation has a good effect on the child's intestinal function.
3. At the right time, it helps to improve moods: if a child likes to cry, a small piece of dark chocolate will help to remedy this situation.
4. Due to the ability of cocoa butter contained in dark chocolate to envelop the teeth, the product helps in slowing down the development of tooth decay.

Dark Chocolate in Medicine

Speaking of the benefits of dark chocolate in medicine, we can note the following:

1. With its help, you can improve the disturbed process of digestion.
2. Also, the consumption of this product will have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver.
3. It helps to reduce pain in the heart.

For diabetes mellitus

Consumption of the right amount of dark chocolate for diabetes improves the condition of blood vessels. This fact is due to the inclusion of vitamin P. It can increase the flexibility of the walls of blood vessels, reduces the fragility of capillaries, increases the permeability of veins and arteries. Based on this, we can conclude that natural dark chocolate in diabetes improves blood circulation.

Important: The glycemic index of dark chocolate from 25 to 40 units.

For gastritis

In this disease, chocolate can carry both useful properties and harm. When the patient is in remission, the treat will be useful if the acidity is reduced. In cases with increased acidity, the product will have an irritating effect on the walls of the organ, which will cause excessive production of gastric juice.

At the time of exacerbation of the disease, the consumption of chocolate should be avoided altogether. Otherwise, the body will suffer great harm. Even a small bite of a treat eaten can lead to disastrous consequences, and hospitalization will be inevitable.

Doctors and specialists in gastroenterology give the following recommendations:

1. You can consume chocolate, observing a simple rule: 1-2 slices at a time, with the frequency of no more than two or three times a week, and only if the disease is in remission.
2. For this disease, bitter and dark chocolate are considered less dangerous. But the best time to consume the delicacy is lunch, only it is necessary to eat it not on an empty stomach. In the morning, it is better to refuse from chocolate in general, because it can provoke an exacerbation of gastritis with subsequent hospitalization.

It is desirable to select the rate of consumption of this product, having consulted with a doctor-specialist in this field.

Harm and contraindications

No one is immune from damage to health, even with high quality products. Dark chocolate is no exception.

1. If you consume this product of poor quality, you can definitely put your health at risk. If you consume it frequently, it will lead to such an unpleasant disease as gastritis. Insomnia or digestive disorders can also occur.
2. Whatever the benefits of dark chocolate, the caloric value of this product is very high. If you abuse this delicacy, obesity can become one of the unpleasant consequences. The average daily rate is no more than 45 grams.
3. This product is not recommended for children under three years old, people with diabetes and those who suffer from migraine attacks.

How to choose and store

Going to the store, you can meet a lot of counters, on which there is a huge number of chocolates from different manufacturers. The question arises - how to choose the best?

It is an undeniable fact: only real dark chocolate without any additives has beneficial properties. What products should be present in the composition of real dark chocolate, and what should not be? True experts on the composition of this dessert say the following:

1. It is worth paying close attention to the packaging. If real dark chocolate is in front of the consumer, then it must contain cocoa butter. The presence of palm fat, vegetable ingredients and soy additives suggests poor quality.
2. Occasionally a chocolate manufacturer has added the equivalent of cocoa butter to its composition. This product has properties similar to those of natural chocolate. The difference will be the lack of a rich flavor and aroma. A product that contains the equivalent of cocoa butter meets the standards and "proudly" bears the name chocolate.
3. Sometimes the product contains soy, palm and other vegetable fats. This product cannot be called chocolate. The manufacturer must not mislead the customer. It is not chocolate, but a "candy bar.
4. It is worth paying attention to how the chocolate looks. A good, natural, dark product should have a smooth, dark surface with a sheen. Dense enough, but at the same time fragile, it has an expressively ringing sound when it is broken. When a manufacturer in order to save money adds a fat substitute instead of cocoa butter, the appearance of the chocolate changes. The chocolate has a matte and light surface. A cracking sound is not audible.
5. If hydrofats and preservatives belonging to the benzoic series are present in the composition, the product is classified as low-grade chocolate. When consumed, it creates discomfort in the mouth, sticking to the teeth and leaving an unpleasant greasy taste. There is nothing useful in such a dessert. And if you consume it for a long time, it can be detrimental to your health.
6. When the product includes cocoa noodles or cocoa powder, it will be of poor quality.

It is also worth reading the following tips:

1. If the choice is dark chocolate, it is worth choosing a monolithic bar. It should be free of streaks, patterns and all sorts of decorations.
2. If possible, you should make a break in the chocolate bar and pay attention to the sound it will make at this moment. It should be clean crispy. The place where the break goes will remain flat.
3. The texture should be velvety. If the texture is greasy or grainy, it is better to leave such chocolate on the shelf.
4. A good quality product should have a pleasant smell, the presence of extraneous flavors indicates the presence of flavorings. The bar should be dark brown in color. Do not take chocolate with additives. In the form of additives in the composition may be present only nuts. The presence of other additives indicates that the product is not natural.

For proper storage of chocolate, choose places that are dark and dry, where the sun's rays cannot penetrate. In summer, it is best to store it in the refrigerator.

How to make milk chocolate from dark chocolate

To make such a dessert, you need to use ready-made dark chocolate. You will also need:

• whole or condensed milk;
• butter;
• sugar.

The necessary amount of ingredients must be adjusted, based on what consistency of the chocolate mass you would like to get, based on your preferences.

What you need to do:

1. Take a bar of bitter chocolate, using a water bath to melt it.
2. Gradually add the sugar, milk, and butter. The result should be a mixture that has a thick consistency.
3. Put the mixture on fire and cook for 5-6 minutes, then let it cool down.
4. Pour into the previously prepared forms.
5. Next, put the molds with chocolate in the refrigerator and allow to solidify, so that the bar gets a certain rigidity.

How to eat dark chocolate properly

After you bought the sweet, you do not need to put it immediately in the refrigerator. It is recommended to store the chocolate at a temperature of 23 degrees. It can be consumed in combination with beverages. If eaten with wine, it should be an order of magnitude sweeter than chocolate.

How much you can eat per day

It is not recommended to eat a lot of sweets per day. The optimum is no more than 25-45 g per day. It is better to limit yourself to 15 grams.

What can be combined with

Dark chocolate goes well with dried apricots, candied fruits, coffee beans. It can be grated and added to baked goods.

The best dark chocolate brands are

1. "Ritter Sport" - famous for its invigorating fillings, beautiful packaging design.
2. "Babaevsky" - the brand has established itself a long time ago due to the good taste of the chocolate.
3. "Russia generous soul" - characterized by moderate bitterness, a great combination of dark and white chocolate.
4. "Eco Botanica" - much less carbohydrates, but the content of vitamins and prebiotics is preserved.

Interesting facts about chocolate

1. "Modelin" is the most expensive chocolate in the world. It was created by the cook Fritz Knipschild from America.
2. Kisses chocolate is produced in quantities of more than eighty million pieces per day at the Hershey factory.
3. Kisses chocolate in 1907 was made in the shape of a square.
4. Before 1875, only dark chocolate existed.
5. The Mayans paid with chocolate instead of money.

Photo of dark chocolate