Chocolate is one of the most popular sweet-tasting treats in the world and has been for centuries. But part of the myth surrounding chocolate is that if it tastes so good, it must be bad for your health. Chocolate contains more than 300 chemicals, and has been the subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations.


What Chocolate Won’t Do

There are many myths and half-truths about the effects of chocolate on the human body.
Here are the latest findings on several of them.
* Studies show that chocolate is not a causative factor in acne.
* Cacao contains the stimulants caffeine and bromine, but in such small quantities that they don’t cause nervous excitability.
* Chocolate is not addictive.
* Chocolate contains stearic acid, a neutral fat which doesn’t raise bad cholesterol.
* Chocolate doesn’t make you ‘high’. You’d need to eat a huge quantity (about 25 pounds at one sitting) to feel any noticeable effect.

For The Negative Side:
* Chocolate may trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.
* Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.

Dark variety of chocolate, far from being a health peril is actually a nourishing and wholesome food for the body. According to latest medical research studies, health benefits of dark chocolate may truly boost human health and provide variety of health benefits of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is enriched with the health compounds, medically known as flavonoids that act as a traditional curative remedy for treating various body ailments and offering various health benefits of dark chocolate.

Who can possibly resist a yummy piece of chocolate, and if it is actually healthy eating a dark chocolate, then it’s too good to be true! Food scientists all over the world suggest that dark chocolate contains all the necessary compounds and minerals to prevent major chronic heart condition and disorders. The beneficial compounds, flavonoids are present in both raw and processed state of the dark chocolate.


Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolates


Stress: Eating a delicious piece of chocolate could possibly reduce stress levels; it works by stimulating the production of endorphin that may give rise to a happy feeling. In addition the dark chocolate variety contains stimulants such as theobromine and caffeine that are major stimulants.

Blood Pressure: Dark chocolate is rich in minerals such as magnesium and copper, these minerals aid in regulating normal blood pressure and subsequently maintaining proper heartbeat levels.

Boosting Immunity: The two kinds of flavonoids present in chocolates are mainly Catechins and Epicatechins. Dark chocolate has more of Catechins, which boosts the human body immune system and possibly preventing major chronic ailments.

Blood circulation: Eating dark chocolate not only relaxes but also makes the blood vessels more flexible. It also boosts the functioning of endothelial cells which line the blood cells. It also decreases the risk posed by innumerable cardiovascular diseases.

Lowers Cholesterol Levels: Dark chocolates have been medically proven to reduce the bad cholesterol level in the human body significantly, up to 10 /12 percentage.

Cures Depression: The serotonin level in the dark chocolates may act as an effective anti-depressant. The dark chocolate contains serotonin, which has the qualities of anti- depressants.

Good for Anemic Condition: The flavonoids compounds are useful in treating anemic patients and those having poor dietary habits.

Endorphin: One of the most exciting health benefits of dark chocolate is that it helps in enhancing the production of endorphin, which results in generation of feeling of pleasure in human beings.

Rich in Antioxidants: Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant. Reports from National Institute of Food & Nutrition Research in Italy suggests that these antioxidants actually gulp up free moving radicals and other dangerous molecules that may be potential health hazards.

Heart health: Little intake of dark chocolate boosts the vascular health. It contains a lot of poly phenols and anti-oxidants.

• Anti-oxidants: The anti-oxidants present in dark chocolate helps fighting against pre mature aging. The anti-oxidants also help in fighting against heart diseases.

“http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate.html”
“http://www.momscape.com/articles/chocolate.htm”