There is great news for chocolate lovers...Chocolate is good for
your health! Now, we are not talking here about a candy bar but
about real chocolate, the kind that contains at least 71% of
real cocoa. Something to remember when selecting chocolate is
that the darker it is, the less sugar it contains and the better
it is for you.
We are all aware of the emotional benefits of chocolate. By
liberating endorphins in the body, chocolate provides us with
feelings of comfort and wellbeing, energy and pleasure. Some
surveyed women go as far a saying that they would prefer
chocolate to sex! No wonder with such a texture, rich color and
taste, chocolate is not only an aphrodisiac but also a pleasure
for the senses. In addition, chocolate also contains serotonin
and caffeine which both provide energy and promote good humor.
Pleasure aside, chocolate also holds beneficial health
properties. Chocolate's complex chemical composition offers a
variety of substances that the body needs to function properly
and to prevent disease.
Chocolate enhances cardiovascular health. Like red wine, the
phenols contained in dark chocolate help prevent coronary
diseases. The British Medical Journal reports that a daily
portion of 100 grams of dark chocolate reduces blood pressure
and the occurrence of cardiovascular incidents by 21%. These
phenols are also rich in antioxidants and they help neutralize
free radicals produced by the body or absorbed thought cigarette
smoke and other sources of pollution. Cocoa butter is already
used in creams to heal scars and burns. No wonder pharmaceutical
companies are now exploring the possibility of researching with
chocolate to develop new medication to counter cancers and
osteoporosis.
Chocolate does contain fats but these are unsaturated and
contribute to reducing bad cholesterol and to increasing good
cholesterol. Chocolate is also an excellent source of magnesium.
Should it contain nuts, chocolate can become a great source
phosphor and vegetable iron.
One of the many benefits of living in our time is that there is
a plethora of organic and fair trade chocolates that are readily
available to us in natural health food and grocery stores. The
benefits of purchasing these types of chocolates abound but the
most obvious are that they do not contain organochlorine
pesticides that are usually used to treat traditional cocoa
crops and that are harmful not only to the consumer but also to
the field worker. Furthermore, purchasing fair trade chocolate
ensures that the (healthier) worker can benefit from improved
working and living conditions by receiving a fair salary for
their work.
Like with everything however, chocolate must be consumed in good
measure. Chocolate increases caloric intake and energy level.
This can be good, provided these calories are burned. We might
even change the saying to "Some chocolate everyday keeps the
doctor away!"
About the author:
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