Why chocolate helps you sleep better: Cacao nutrient found to regulate your biological clock for a full night's sleep

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 by: Sarah Landers
Tags: chocolate, magnesium, sleep quality

---

(NaturalNews) It's unlikely that you need another excuse to eat more chocolate, but a recent report by the Daily Mail states that among the many other benefits of eating dark chocolate, it can also help you to get a good night's sleep. Dark chocolate is richer in nutrients than milk or white chocolate, and is particularly high in magnesium – which researchers at Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities believe is essential for keeping your body clock running on time.

Magnesium is thought to influence your daily cycles of sleeping and waking, as well as your body's release of hormones and temperature regulation – or circadian rhythms. This is a really important discovery, as stated by the Daily Mail, because it could help with the development of chronotherapy – a treatment that is scheduled according to certain times of day.

The research found that human cells see a rise and fall in magnesium levels throughout the daily cycle, and that this oscillation in levels is vital for sustaining the 24-hour clock in cells. Magnesium levels also have an impact on your body's metabolism, affecting how quickly cells convert nutrients into energy.

Magnesium doesn't just play a vital role in how your cells keep their form of time, but also supports almost every function and tissue in your body – including your immune system, heart health and ability to fight cancer.

While you can take a food supplement to help make sure you get enough magnesium in your diet, it is always better to eat well, and to incorporate magnesium-rich foods into your diet.

So, dark chocolate is good for you?

According to Nutritional Anarchy, dark chocolate is also high in fiber, iron, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium – nutrients which are all important for keeping your body functioning properly.

Chocolate is thought to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease – by lowering your blood pressure and because of its anti-inflammatory properties – as well as to lower your risk of diabetes by increasing your insulin sensitivity. Meanwhile, the flavonols found in cacao boost the blood flow to your brain, and increase your mental performance. Basically, there are a lot of reasons to incorporate more dark chocolate in your diet.

However, studies by Health Ranger Mike Adams have revealed that certain popular cacao powders might also be high in a toxic compound called cadmium. The Natural News Forensic Food Lab has found consistently high levels of cadmium in cacao powder across many of the main brands sold in the U.S. It is worth noting that the EU is going to strictly limit the sale of cacao products that are high in cadmium from the beginning of 2019.

Cadmium is a heavy metal that bio-accumulates in cacao products, becoming highly concentrated over time. Cadmium has been linked to kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, skin disorders and many other health conditions. If the EU is banning products with high levels of cadmium, that is a good indication of why you don't want to be eating too much of it in your diet.

It's important that if you want to enjoy the health benefits of chocolate without consuming a lot of cadmium, you need to make smart decisions in your weekly shop – prioritizing brands such as Essential Living Foods, Earth Circle Organics and Health Ranger Select.

As reported by the Daily Mail, there are several other foods that are high in magnesium, such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas and dried fruit. So try and find ways to eat more of these magnesium-rich foods, as well as treating yourself to some carefully chosen chocolate.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NutritionalAnarchy.com

Science.NaturalNews.com