Health Benefits of Chocolate

New resolutions. New you. New diet? Don’t cut out your chocolate just yet! With the help of various studies, there is quite a case for the Health Benefits of Chocolate!

1.  Healthier Heart.

   Rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that increase the flexibility of veins and arteries, studies have claimed that chocolate has cardiovascular benefits. A 9-year Swedish study of more than 31,000 women found that those who ate one or two servings of dark chocolate each week cut their risk for heart failure by as much as a third. Another big, long-term study in Germany this year found that about a square of dark chocolate a day lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 percent. A study out of Australia showed that eating chocolate high in healthy antioxidants reduced the blood pressure-raising effects of exercise on overweight individuals. So go ahead and reward yourself – a chocolate serving a day might keep the doctor away!

1. Weight Loss.

   Dark chocolate is not only filling, but researching from the University of Copenhagen found it lessen your cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Not only can a serving of dark chocolate be a rewarding part of your diet, but it can help you stick to it!

2. Happier Kids.

   A study measured pregnant women’s abilities to handle stress. Women who ate chocolate reported that they were Women who ate chocolate daily during their pregnancy reported that they were better able to handle stress than mothers-to-be who abstained. Also, a Finnish study found their babies were happier and smiled more.

3. Diabetes Prevention.

   Not often is candy considered a good resource for preventing diabetes. However, in a small Italian study participants who ate dark chocolate once a day for 15 days saw their potential for insulin resistance drop by nearly half. “Flavonoids increase nitric oxide production,” says lead researcher Claudio Ferri, M.D., a professor at the University of L’Aquila in Italy. “And that helps control insulin sensitivity.”

4. Reduced Stress. 

   UC San Diego researchers recently confirmed what your fat pants already knew: When times get tough, the people tend to dip into their chocolate stash a little more. In this case, emotional eating might not be such a bad thing. You know what kind of havoc stress and its sneaky sidekick cortisol can wreak on your body. Swiss scientists found that when very anxious people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, their stress hormone levels were significantly reduced and the metabolic effects of stress were partially mitigated. So put your ice cream scoops down and break out a dark chocolate bar!

5. Sun Protection. 

   London researchers recently tested chocolate flavanols’ sun-protecting prowess. After 3 months eating chocolate with high levels of flavanols, their study subjects’ skin took twice as long to develop that reddening effect that indicates the beginning of a burn. Subjects who ate conventional low-flavanol chocolate didn’t get the same sun protection. Watch for brands boasting high levels of the healthy compounds.

6. Higher Intelligence. 

   Next time you’re under pressure on a work project, don’t feel so guilty about grabbing a dark chocolate bar from the vending machine. Not only will it help your body ward off the effects of stress, but it’ll boost your brain power when you really need it. A University of Nottingham researcher found that drinking cocoa rich in flavanols boosts blood flow to key parts of the brain for 2 to 3 hours, which could improve performance and alertness in the short term. Other researchers from Oxford University and Norway looked at chocolate’s long-term effects on the brain by studying the diets of more than 2,000 people over age 70. They found that those who consumed flavanol-rich chocolate, wine, or tea scored significantly higher on cognitive tests than those who didn’t.

7. Cough Relief. 

   One study found that chocolate quieted coughs almost as well as codeine, thanks to the theobromine it contains. This chemical, responsible for chocolate’s feel-good effect, may suppress activity in a part of the brain called the vagus nerve. Maria Belvisi, a professor of respiratory pharmacology at the National Heart and Lung Institute in London, says, “It had none of the negative side effects.” Codeine makes most people feel sleepy and dull—and doesn’t taste anything like fine chocolate.

8. Diarrhea Relief. 

   Both South American and European cultures have a history that dates back to the 16th century of treating diarrhea with cocoa. Modern-day science has shown they were onto something. Scientists at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute found that cocoa flavonoids bind to a protein that regulates fluid secretion in the small intestine, potentially stopping the trots in their tracks.