The tastiest way lose even more weight on a low-carb diet

Upset woman on weigh scaleA group of German researchers just combined two of my favorite topics—chocolate and low-carb diets—into one amazing study. The goal was to see how chocolate’s health benefits (most notably from its plant compounds, called flavanols) hold up alongside various dietary interventions. And I think you’ll be as excited about the results as I am…

The researchers divided people into three groups. The first group followed a strict low-carb diet. The second group followed the same diet and also consumed 42 grams of dark chocolate per day (about 1.5 ounces). And the third group (the control group) just followed their regular diet.

Participants tracked their body weight, and answered questions about everything from their sleep quality to their overall well-being.

The low-carb group lost more weight than the control (obviously). But, get this…

The low-carb-plus-chocolate group lost 10 percent more weight than the low-carb-alone group. And they kept the weight off better than the low-carb-alone group (which overall saw a return of their old weight—i.e., the yo-yo effect—within 3 weeks).

The low-carb-plus-chocolate group also reported better sleep and overall well-being.

It’s all the more reason to make chocolate a part of your life. But, again, not just any chocolate will do.

The study used 81% cacao dark chocolate, which is pretty good. But, as always, I say to go for a minimum of 85% cacao content, in a minimally processed bar. Or, better yet, opt for 100% cacao and mix it with unsweetened almond or coconut milk, along with just enough stevia to cut the bitterness.

Source:

“Chocolate with high cocoa content as a weight-loss accelerator.” International Archives of Medicine 2015; 8(55): 1-8


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