Dark chocolate possesses a high content of minerals due to the high proportion of cocoa. Magnesium, potassium, calcium, and copper are contained in high quantities in chocolate. These minerals can contribute to preventing high blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A combination of phytochemicals, minerals, and essential nutrients are supposed to offer the best possible protection against cardiovascular disease.

Calcium – Out of the chocolate and into your bones.”

The mineral, calcium, has various functions. It is an important component of bones and teeth, which serve as calcium depots. Furthermore, calcium functions as a signal molecule in surplus tissue. It is involved in muscle contraction and in the activation of the blood clotting system. It also transmits stimuli in the nervous system and works as a cofactor in some key enzymes.

Calcium is particularly present in milk, milk products, vegetables (e.g. broccoli, green cabbage, fennel), herbs (e.g. parsley, cress, dill), and nuts.

Milk chocolate contains almost four times more calcium than dark chocolate. A 40g portion of milk chocolate provides approximately 8% of the calcium required by a healthy, 70kg adult. In turn, a 40g portion of dark chocolate provides over 2% of this.

Sodium – A mineral that has muscles to flex.

The most important functions of the mineral, sodium, are regulating water balance, acid-base balance, and osmotic pressure in cells. Moreover, sodium is needed to support a series of enzymes. It is mainly involved in forwarding electrical impulses in nerves and muscle cells, as well as contracting muscles (including the heart).

Sodium, taken in as common salt (sodium chloride), has been connected with causing rising blood pressure. However, it has been shown that this only applies to people with a sensitivity to salt (roughly 25% of the population). The maximum acceptable amount of common salt is, therefore, different for everybody.

Fresh crop products such as vegetables, fruit, and cereals are low in sodium.

Magnesium – Don’t take any risks: eat chocolate.

Magnesium plays a key role in the healthy functioning of the heart and circulation. It is involved in muscles and nerve cells working together and is, therefore, important for the entire nervous system. It dampens, for example, the excitation of nerves and muscles.

It has further importance for the healthy structure of bones, as well as for healthy teeth. It is involved in approximately 300 enzyme reactions and plays, among other things, an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and cell division.

Magnesium is absorbed in the small intestine, where the presence of calcium clearly improves its absorption. Too little magnesium can increase the risk of hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and apoplexy.

Magnesium rich foods are nuts, rolled oats, wheat germs, millet, whole meal bread, sunflower seeds, quinoa, and amaranth. The latter two are plants that were cultivated by the Incas and Aztecs. Nowadays, they are in, among other things, Muesli.

A 40g portion of milk chocolate provides approximately 8% – 10% of the daily requirement of magnesium for an average adult. A 40g portion of dark chocolate provides approximately 15% of this.

Potassium – There is an apple hiding in every piece of chocolate.

Potassium is responsible for the maintenance of osmotic pressure in cells, for cell volume, and the regulation of water supply. It is also indispensable for ensuring that nerves and muscles function correctly. Likewise, some enzymes are dependent on potassium and are activated by this essential mineral. A lack of potassium can increase the risk of hypertension and apoplexy.

Potassium occurs in, among other things, bananas, milk, mushrooms, tomatoes, apricots, wheat germs, sweet peppers, and apples.

Chocolate and apples contain roughly the same volume of potassium. The amount of potassium present in milk chocolate is equivalent to that in dark chocolate. A portion of chocolate (40g) provides about 9% of the potassium required by an average adult each day.