The Benefits of Dark Chocolate for Endometriosis

Benefits of Chocolate for Endometriosis

Benefits of cacao and chocolate for endometriosis

Is this why you crave chocolate when you have your period?

Eating dark chocolate can help ease period pain. It is rich in magnesium, which relaxes the muscles in your uterus and stops painful cramps. It also has antioxidants that lower inflammation and boosts your mood.

The Various Benefits of Dark Chocolate

- A great source of magnesium, which helps relax the muscles and may stop the production of compounds that stimulate cramps.

- Rich in polyphenols, including flavonoids, which are chemical compounds that turn down the inflammatory process and act as potent antioxidants in the body.

- Increases dopamine production, which can help elevate mood.

- Dark chocolate is rich in magnesium, which helps relax the muscles and ease uterine contractions and pain by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins.

Painful period cramps are caused by uterine contractions in response to the release of prostaglandins (hormone-like lipids) due to the shedding of the uterus lining.

Dark chocolate is high in magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron content, which help relax the muscles and uplift the mood. Chocolate is also a rich source of iron, contains potassium that can help with muscle cramps.

Studies on Chocolate and Menstrual Pain

A study conducted on 50 menstruating teenage girls reported that dark chocolate reduces menstrual cramps and pain. Another study conducted on 40 girls reported that eating chocolate during periods causes a significant reduction in period pains.

Chocolate is relatively high is oxalates which can cause issues for a few people but is generally not a problem unless you are have a history of kidney stones or gut health disorders like Crohn's disease.

Tips for Best Results

Choose high cocoa content: Pick chocolate with 70% cocoa or higher.
Eat small amounts: Just a small square or two is enough.
Avoid milk chocolate: High sugar and dairy can make bloating worse

Health Benefits of Raw Cacao

In the raw state of being uncooked and unprocessed, cacao beans contain a host of health benefits.

Cacao beans are a rich source of various vitamins and minerals. The All-Chocolate website reports ‘that raw cacao beans contain healthy amounts of copper and potassium, both of which help to promote heart health, as well as iron, which carries oxygen throughout your body. Cacao beans also contain calcium and magnesium.’

More good news . . . .

I have a great recipe for home-made chocolate which is totally safe if you are making diet changes to help your endometriosis – The basis of this recipe is based on 3 basic ingredients:

Raw organic cacao – (cacao is the unprocessed beans used to make cocoa) the chocolate part, not to be confused with ordinary cocoa you buy in the supermarket. Being organic is will be free from pesticides.

Coconut oil – the fat/solid component

Stevia – the sweetener - Liquid stevia seems to be better because it is pure and natural.

Don't get concerned about using coconut oil, which some reports are saying is bad for you. That information is based on mis-information. Coconut oil is actually very good for you in too many ways to go into here, but I will say it is great for the digestive system, and has lots of healthy properties including being anti-inflammatory and anti-viral. However, you do need to use organic extra-virgin coconut oil to obtain the best health benefits.

Stevia is used as the sweetener, which is a natural sweetener that does not affect your blood sugar levels. Do not buy stevia from the supermarket, as this is not pure stevia and it actually contains little in the way of real natural stevia and has lots of additives.

The Recipe: Home-made Endo Safe Chocolate

Ingredients:

Raw organic cacao – comes in powder form and can be purchased from many websites
Coconut oil – most health shops sell this in jars and is also readily available on the internet
Stevia for sweetening
Other flavourings of personal choice – like nuts, ground almonds

Method:

Take equal amounts of coconut oil and raw cacao – about 3 or 4 tablespoons of each
Melt the coconut oil in a dish like a baine marie (use a porcelain bowl in a pan of hot water) it is not necessary to boil the water because coconut oil melts at 25 degrees
Once the coconut oil has melted add the cocoa to the oil and mix well
Add a little stevia, about a quarter teaspoon – add this to taste because the strength of stevia can differ
To provide the equivalent solidity that is found with commercial chocolate, add some ‘fibre’/bulking agent, and one good method is to add grated coconut, this gives it a bit more bite. You will need about one large tablespoon. You can use dried grated coconut or fresh coconut.

You can add all sorts of nice things - small pieces of chopped dates, chopped up nuts. This is the stage where you can experiment by adding your favourite flavourings.

You can also add a few drops of edible orange oil essence for a nice orange flavour .... or how about adding a few drops of CBD oil to get the pain relief benefits!

When you're done, pour your mixture into small dishes or ice cube trays. Put the mixture in the refrigerator. When the coconut oil is completely set it is ready to eat. The chocolate will melt when out of the refrigerator, because coconut oil has a low melting point, so keep it in the fridge.

This recipe can also be used to make chocolate sauce in the runny state – yummy!

Benefits of Chocolate for Endometriosis

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