The Benefits of Chocolate

No, the title is not wrong. There are in fact multiple benefits to eating chocolate. The first benefit obviously being the taste. There is no doubt about it chocolate tastes good, and where is the harm in treating your taste buds now and again. Plus, eating something that tastes good makes you feel good. However, there are other benefits to consuming this heavenly treat.

For starters, dark chocolate is filled with antioxidants, which protect the body from free radical that can cause aging and heart disease. In fact, chocolate has more antioxidants than certain fruits. Therefore, it is true that small quantities of dark chocolate can slow down the aging process better than some fruits.

Second, dark chocolate can possibly lower your blood pressure. The medical field is not entirely sure how, but studies have shown a small amounts of dark chocolate each day can lower blood pressure over time. Additionally, in other studies the consumption of dark chocolate has been linked to the reduction of bad cholesterol.

As an added bonus, chocolate also contains serotonin, which acts as a feel good stimulate, which can ward off feelings of depression. Other ingredients include endorphins and caffeine, which act as stimulants. All of these ingredients can boast our mood, and make for a better day.

Additionally, not all of the fats in chocolate are necessarily bad for us. Dark chocolate contains oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil and avocado. Another fat found in dark chocolate is stearic acid, which has not been proven to increase or decrease cholesterol.

With that said there are certain limitations to consider when consuming chocolate. For one, do not eat too much of a good thing. Despite its benefits, dark chocolate still contains palmitic acid, which is a saturated fat, know to raise your bad cholesterol and increase your risk of hard disease. Plus, saturated fats are linked to weight gain, which can cause certain health problems and risks. Additionally, when consider what kind of chocolate to consume, always go for the dark. Both milk and white chocolate cannot make the same health claims that dark chocolate can. Plus, milk chocolate most always has a higher fat content then its darker counterpart.

As long as you consume chocolate wisely, and stick to only eating dark chocolate, you can reap the many benefits now associated with chocolate. Enjoy!

Katrina Robinson is a freelance writer and editor based in Charleston, South Carolina. She is a guest blogger for AccessRx.com, which covers current health & wellness news in their blog. Customers can also purchase prescription medications online in the convenience of their own home or office.