Organic chocolate is made from organically grown cacao beans. Organic vegan chocolate is made from the organic cacao beans and usually coconut butter and nut milk. Therefore, vegan chocolate is safe for children as it contains a lot of beneficial nutrients. Cacao has natural catechins which help to speed up metabolism and improve heart health.
Dark chocolate does not contain any dairy fats. However, no matter what type, chocolate also has lots of sugar and fats. Therefore overindulging in delicious chocolate is not good for your health.
Buying Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is made with no milk solids and has high amounts of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It also has very little or no sugar. Buying the right vegan chocolate can be a daunting task considering the many brands available in the market.
To ensure the chocolate you are buying is vegan:
- Look for good quality dark chocolate with very few ingredients. The best chocolate that will provide the most health benefits consists of cocoa solids, cocoa liquor, and very little sugar. It can also have emulsifiers such as lecithin but not necessarily.
- A little flavor may be added, which will give the chocolate a whole new profile. Some of the common additions to the cocoa are orange, mint, and chili.
- The other most important thing to look out for in any vegan chocolate ingredients is the addition of milk, whey, or milk powder. It is possible to find dairy in the dark chocolate that you otherwise considered vegan. You should, therefore, watch out for this.
Here are a few of the health benefits of vegan chocolate for kids:
Vegan Chocolate Improves Brain Function
Cocoa has high amounts of flavonols which support the production of neurons and improve blood flow to the brain. This, in turn, enhances performance. Vegan chocolate can boost brain function. It is rich in dietary essentials since it is purely plant-based.
Vegan Chocolate is a Great Source of Antioxidants
Dark chocolate contains antioxidant compounds such as catechins, flavonols, and polyphenols. The antioxidants can neutralize the free radicals in the body and also prevent oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is damage caused by excessive free radicals which can inflict on body tissues and cells.
Vegan Chocolate is Good for Heart Health
Eating vegan chocolate is good for the health of your heart. It contains copper, vitamin E, and magnesium, which help prevent heart diseases. Magnesium helps to promote the function and health of the heart by improving blood flow. Copper increases the oxygen flow in the blood cells. Vegan chocolate also helps to reduce the risk of getting a calcified plaque in the arteries.
Cocoa has also been found to have blood-thinning effects and can also reduce bad cholesterol. This is another boost to heart health.
Vegan Chocolate Improves Mood
The effects of cocoa on the brain can help to improve one’s mood and depression symptoms. The flavanols, caffeine content, and the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin provide positive effects on mood.
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The compound in vegan chocolate can also increase and balance the levels of serotonin in the body. This makes children happy and contented.
Vegan Chocolate is Nutrient-dense
High quality dark vegan chocolate is rich in protein, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids, copper, fiber, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, and other trace minerals.
Vegan Chocolate Lowers the Level of Blood Pressure
The flavanols in vegan chocolate are effective in improving blood pressure. Since dark chocolate is rich in polyphenol, it is shown to reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure in people with diabetes and high blood pressure.
Cacao has high magnesium content which helps to calm the nervous system. It also contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which is responsible for a good mood in children.
Vegan Chocolate Protects the Skin Against Sun Damage
Vegan chocolate is flavanol-rich and can help to protect kids’ skin against damage from the sun. It also improves blood circulation to the skin, increases skin hydration and density, and also reduces scaling and roughness.
Vegan Chocolate is a High Plant-Based Source of Iron
Cacao is a high plant-based source of iron to both children and adults. The iron in cacao is non-heme and can provide maximum benefits when combined with vitamin C. The Vitamin C foods you can mix with cacao are kiwifruit and thick oranges. Superfoods such as camu camu, or gubinge have forty times more vitamin C than oranges and kiwifruit.
Conclusion
Chocolate is a children’s favorite. Whether it is a chocolate drink, bar, frosted, melted or powdered chocolate, kids will fall for it. Vegan chocolate has a lot of health benefits from preventing tooth decay, reducing the growth of plaque, improves memory and concentration, and much more.
Vegan chocolate consumption is okay as long as it is consumed in moderation. The dark vegan chocolate is the healthiest since it is unsweetened and contains low amounts of milk and other additives. It is ideal for kids who are sensitive to sugars and also improves cell function.