Chocolate gets a very bad reputation for its high ‘calorie content.’ It’s a common cliche among masses that eating chocolate is detrimental to your physical health.
However, many studies suggest an impressive range of health benefits, both physical and mental.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of chocolate:
1. Mood
Chocolate contains tryptophan, a chemical distributed in the brain. Tryptophan helps produce serotonin. Serotonin makes you happy.
Chocolate has been shown to improve depression and anxiety symptoms and help enhance feelings of calmness and contentedness. In a study, healthy subjects felt more calm and contented after consuming a daily dark chocolate drink containing a high amount of polyphenols.
2. Sex
Chocolate contains L-arginine, an amino acid that can be an effective natural sex-enhancer for both women and men.
It works by increasing nitric oxide and promoting blood flow to your sexual organs, which increases sensation, satisfaction, and desire. It is a rich source of PEA, the acronym for phenylethylamine, sometimes referred to as the “love supplement” or the “romance chemical.”
3. Teeth
Chocolate contains cocoa butter which covers teeth with a protective film, which can help against plaque and bacteria build up.
Dark chocolate has a good amount of antioxidants that inhibit the proliferation of a certain bacteria that causes tooth decay. This bacteria produces acids that affect the enamel in our teeth. The antioxidants in chocolate counter the effects of this acid production.
4. Blood
Researchers found that chocolate can stimulate the lining of arteries to produce more nitric oxide, helping them relax. Dark chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels – both common causes of artery clogging.
Chocolate has vasodilator properties, and aids the flow of blood around your veins. This can actually lower blood pressure.
5. Skin
Some chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, contains anti-oxidants, vitamins, microelements and flavonoids. These improve blood flow to the skin, increase density and hydration, and help protect against sun damage
The content of flavonoids in the dark chocolate has been found to have positive effects on the body. One such effect is providing protection against the harmful UV rays of the Sun.
6. Memory and Cognitive function
According to The flavanols that get absorbed when you consume chocolate penetrate and accumulate in the brain regions involved in learning and memory, especially the hippocampus, according to researchers.
These flavanols increase blood flow to the brain, promote the formation of new neurons, improve the functioning of neurons, enhance connections between neurons, and protect neurons from death by free radicals.
7. Heart
Dark chocolate helps in maintaining overall cardio-vascular health and reduces the risk of coronary heart diseases.
The cocoa butter present in dark chocolate is a rich source of heart-friendly stearic acid that is converted into healthy monounsaturated fat known as oleic acid. Oleic acid has been shown to lower the level of LDL “bad” cholesterol in the blood while importing the level of HDL “good” cholesterol.
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition suggested that chocolate can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels – i.e. ‘bad fats’.
According to another study in The BMJ, chocolate can also reduce the risk of heart disease by one-third.
8. Loosing Weight
According to neuroscientist Will Clower, a small square of good choc melted on the tongue 20 minutes before a meal triggers the hormones in the brain that say “I’m full”, cutting the amount of food you subsequently consume.
9. Diabetes Prevention
Dark chocolate reduces insulin resistance and increases the capacity of the body to respond to the insulin produced by the pancreas that helps in lowering high blood glucose.
It has a low glycemic index that prevents any sudden spike in blood sugar that is extremely harmful to patients suffering from diabetes.
10. Fertility
Arginine in dark chocolate may help you conceive. Arginine is a building block of nitric oxide, which increases blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. Femoral massage is recommended, also, to increase pelvic blood flow.
Research has also shown that the mere smell of chocolate can increase the brain’s theta waves, which can help you relax. Relaxing is always an ideal thing to help get you through the stresses of infertility.
11. Relieves Pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is one of the causes of premature labor and is characterized by high blood pressure and protein levels in your urine during pregnancy. When the blood pressure increases, it leads to convulsions and may also cause blood clotting and liver damage.
According to a study reported in the Annals of Epidemiology, cocoa’s theobromine content helps relieve the condition.
Researchers at the Yale University found that chocolate intake lowered the risk of pre-eclampsia by almost 70%. It, therefore, concludes that dark chocolate, about five servings a week, is effective in preventing preeclampsia especially in the third trimester
