Chocolate Linked To Positive Health
If you were to ask someone to list common healthy food selections, you will not find too many responding that chocolate has anything positive to offer. While omitting chocolate from any lists of healthy foods is understandable, it is not accurate to assume that there are no health benefits associated with this sweet. The fact of the matter is there are quite a few health benefits to eating chocolate. In fact, chocolate could have a more positive impact on your health than most realize.
A 2011 study in Sweden showed that women that ate chocolate in amounts of 45 grams per week were able to experience a lower potential for a stroke than those women that ate 9 grams per week. In similar surprising results, studies have shown that chocolate has the potential to lower the risks of heart disease. This is because chocolate can aid in lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. What is the reason for this? Basically, selections such as dark chocolate can have anti-inflammation benefits associated with them. This is what can contribute to cutting down on risks to cardiovascular risks immensely.
Among the more common contributors to heart disease and stroke would be obesity. Actually, obesity contributes to a number of health problems. This is why so many people will cut out bad food choices in order to curtail their calorie intake. Surprisingly, chocolate can contribute to this result since chocolate has the potential to make you feel a lot fuller. Obviously, you do have to be mindful of how much you are eating and employ some self-control. Just because you are eating chocolate does not automatically mean you will lose weight if you are not keeping track of your daily food intake.
There are scores of other health positives to eating chocolate. Chocolate has the potential to improve skin health, lower diabetes and much more. For many, the sheer number of health benefits associated with chocolate can prove very surprising to most people.
This leads to a very obvious question: what is it that helps make chocolate so healthy and beneficial? The inclusion of flavonoids and theobromine in cacao are the main health helpers. The bitter taste of cacao seeds which are used to make chocolate is not appealing. So, mixing in butter, sugar, milk and other ingredients is what makes chocolate a lot more enjoyable to eat. This, in turn, allows chocolate lovers to take advantage of those aforementioned health benefits whether they know it or not.
Of course, not all chocolate is the same and it is not likely you will get any benefits from low grade, cheaply made chocolate. That said, a selection does not have to be gourmet chocolate to deliver positive health benefits. Generally, you will want to buy quality dark chocolate as it is excellent from a health perspective. The cost may be a little higher, but the benefits higher grade chocolate delivers makes the cost worth it.
Last, it is necessary to note that while chocolate does have quite a few health benefits to it, overindulging in chocolate will undermine any positives you are hoping to acquire. Instead, you will end up gaining weight thanks to ingesting too much sugar and calories. So, to get the most benefit out of your chocolate eating, eat in moderation and stick with high quality selections. This common sense approach can prove incredibly helpful for getting the most out of your chocolate eating habits.
This post was written by Chocolate by Genevie who runs a chocolates delivery service in the UK which is dedicated to beautifully presented artisan gift chocolates.