The Top 5 Reasons Why Chocolate is Good For You

Did you know that dark chocolate can be healthy for you? Chocolate unanimously gets a bad rap as a diet buster, and one look at any chocolate bar label will tell you why. But chocolate has amazing benefits if you limit your intake to a few ounces per week, go for dark chocolate (the higher cocoa content packs in much more health benefits), and eat less-processed bars (so not the Kit Kats and Snickers!) Chocolate has so many health benefits is that it is rich in flavonoids, which are naturally occurring substances found in plants that are antiocidant rich.

So here are the top 5 reasons why you should be eating chocolate!

I don't really need to convince you to eat me, do I?

1. Improve your vision. Researchers from the University of Reading in England found that people performed better on vision tests after eating the dark chocolate. This is because the flavanols in dark chocolate help boost blood flow to the brain and the retina.


2. Prevent cancer. Studies have shown that people who eat many flavonoids and antioxidant-rich foods develop fewer cancers than those who don’t eat them. There are many flavonoids in chocolate, but the two most prominent cancer-fighters epicatechin and quercetin.

3. Raise good cholesterol. Dark chocolate is also being studies for its cholesterol-lowering properties. Cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat - the same fat found in olive oil. Studies show that monounsaturated fat helps to raise good cholesterol.

4. Be happier. Fatty acids can boost your mood, and dark chocolate contains two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids. Studies have found that chocolate can make you feel happier and improve your mood, even over other foods containing fatty acids. The current thinking on this is that chocolate stimulates the neural activity in the regions of the brain associated with pleasure.

5. Live longer. Studies have found a link between eating dark chocolate and living longer. While more research needs to be done on this, it's safe to say that with chocolate's cancer-fighting, stroke risk-reducing, heart disease-preventing, blood pressure-lowering advantages and more, chocolate can definitely help you extend your life.

Look for bars like me...dark and unprocessed!

So don't be afraid to indulge!