Your guide to guilt-free chocolate

CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR US!

Chocolate has long been thought of as an unhealthy food that causes weight gain, tooth decay and even acne. However, cocoa isn’t to blame—the high sugar content is. We now know that the heart of chocolate, cacao, and its beneficial chemicals, cocoa flavonols, are actually very good for us.

THE COCOA PLANT

The cacao plant, Theobroma (which means food of the gods in Latin) cacao, is an evergreen tree that produces large yellow fruit with seeds known as cocoa beans. These seeds can be used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. It was the Mayans and Aztecs who discovered that the seeds inside the fruits make for a health-boosting food. It was so prized by these populations that it was used as currency!

PROVEN HEALTH BENEFITS

Long revered for its ability to make people feel happier, chocolate helps to stimulate serotonin production. But more than just feeling good, cocoa can be really beneficial to our overall health. A recent clinical trial investigated the effects of cocoa flavanol supplementation to prevent heart disease and death. The results showed that even after just 3 years of follow-up, the cocoa had an impact on reducing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease death by 27% in this cohort of over 20,000 adults over 60.

INDI MIND

Mind features a high-strength cocoa extract, sourced from Ghana, with a theobromine content of 24%. This is twice as potent as you would find typically in the darkest chocolate. Its benefits include:

• Stimulates blood flow and oxygen delivery around the body, from the lungs to the muscles and brain Improvements in cognition and mental alertness
• Enhances mood with anti-depressant effects by promoting feel-good chemicals in the brain