I’m only halfway joking, adam!
Don’t eat my chocolate, ha!
I’m going to come right out of the gate and tell you that you should be eating more chocolate on keto… and, no, I’m not joking.
Since my weight loss following a keto and fasting, chocolate has been a reliably powerful tool in my dietary arsenal.
But, before I dive into specifics, I should give a disclaimer: I’m NOT talking about your average milk chocolate. I’m talking about either unsweetened chocolate or chocolate that is sweetened with stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol.
So now that you know which form of chocolate is best, I’m going to give you 4 science-backed reasons to eat more chocolate on keto (the 4th reason is my favorite)!
Reason #1 – More Fat-Burning Mitochondria
Chocolate contains something called epicatechin, and research has shown that epicatechin increases mitochondrial biogenesis, or the creation of new mitochondria… and mitochondria burn fat AND generate ketones!
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology involved 17 older sedentary adults who consumed 2 squares of Hershey’s Extra Dark chocolate or placebo for 3 months.
They found that those who ate chocolate had increases in two major signaling proteins, PGC1-alpha and AMPK, which stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis!
This is amazing for 2 reasons:
- PGC-1a is required to transport and oxidize (burn) fat and ketogenesis (to produce ketones)!
- More functional and more numerous mitochondria are beneficial for fat-adaptation as mitochondria are the site of fat-oxidation. Put another way, fat oxidation occurs within mitochondria!
So by eating more chocolate you are literally able to transport and burn more fat and produce ketones more efficiently!
Reason #2 – Burn More Visceral Fat
Chocolate contains a special type of saturated fat known as stearic acid.
It’s special because not only does it not raise cholesterol, but it has literally been shown to burn visceral fat (the dangerous type of fat hidden under your belly), which nicely assists keto’s ability to help shed excess fat!
You see, a study from PLoS ONE found that a stearic acid-rich diet caused a massive ~70% reduction in visceral fat!!
This insane reduction in visceral fat was attributed to stearic acid’s ability to induce apoptosis (cell death) of cells within visceral fat by reducing the expression of a protein called cIAP2 that is found inside cells of visceral fat.
So, yes, chocolate consumption has literally been shown to “kill off” visceral fat…
Oh, and if you’re curious the kind of chocolate that I have been indulging in lately, here’s a Buy 3 Get 1 Free Discount on JoJo’s Chocolate. They have two flavors that I cannot get enough of.
Raspberry Chocolate and Hawaiin… oh man. Here’s the link if you want to try it and get the Thom Discount!
Reason #3 – Increased Blood Flow & Better Brain Health
On keto, in order to produce ketones, our body has to break down fat and transport it to the liver…
Chocolate contains theobromine which increases the activity of cAMP, which, in turn, causes the widening of blood vessels and increases blood flow, allowing us to break down and transport fat to our liver that much more efficiently!
What makes cAMP even more interesting is that it’s involved in the induction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which, as we know, creates new neurons and enhances learning and memory!
So chocolate consumption may help us mobilize fat AND improve our cognitive functioning!
Reason #4 – Improved Insulin Sensitivity!
Okay, this is my favorite reason to eat chocolate. I’m sure you’re aware that a keto diet is an amazing way to improve insulin sensitivity. If you’re insulin sensitive it means your body is better able to burn fat and process carbohydrates.
Well, a study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that dark chocolate increases insulin sensitivity by increasing nitric oxide!
And why is nitric oxide important?
Because nitric oxide causes our blood vessels to dilate (open up) which allows for better blood flow! And better blood flow means our body is able to efficiently transport the glucose (carbs) that are in our bloodstream to our muscle cells.
If glucose is just hanging around in our blood, unable to be transported into our cells, this can result in insulin resistance!
So chocolate can help stimulate fat loss, improve brain health, increase insulin sensitivity, and it tastes great! What’s not to love?
Cheers to Chocoholics!
