5 reasons why chocolate is good for you
Next time you eat a piece of chocolate, don't feel guilty about it
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-04-13 17:42 GMT
Study after study proves that chocolate—sweet, rich, and delicious—is good for more than curing a broken heart. Packed with healthy chemicals like flavonoids and theobromine, this little bean is a disease-killing bullet.
Not that we needed anymore reason to eat more chocolate but we have listed five reasons to indulge in this heavenly snack:
1.Chocolates aides in weight loss
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that dark chocolate is far more filling, offering more of a feeling of satiety. It lessens cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. So if indulging in a bit of healthy dark chocolate should not only make it easy for you to stick to the small portion recommended for optimal health, but it should make it easier for you to stick to your diet in general.
2. Chocolate may reduce heart disease risk
Research published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) has suggested that consuming chocolate could help lower the risk of developing heart disease by one third. The report was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Paris, France. Therefore, more chocolates means a healthy heart.
3. Chocolate reduces stress
UC San Diego researchers recently confirmed what you already knew. When times get tough, people tend to dip into their stock of chocolate. Swiss scientists also found that when very anxious people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, their stress hormone levels were significantly reduced and the metabolic effects of stress were partially mitigated.
4. Chocolates may prevent cancer
Cocoa contains a compound called pentameric procyanidin, or pentamer, which disrupts cancer cells’ ability to spread. When researchers from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University treated cancer cells with pentamer back in 2005, the proteins necessary for cancer growth were suppressed and the cells stopped dividing.
5. Chocolate boosts intelligence
A University of Nottingham researcher found that drinking cocoa rich in flavanols boosts blood flow to key parts of the brain for 2 to 3 hours, which could improve performance and alertness in the short term. Not only will it help your body ward off the effects of stress, but it'll boost your brain power when you really need it
Do we need more delicious benefits to eat chocolates? Sound off in the comments below