Monday, August 11, 2008

Healthy Chocolate Pleasure


Ever wonder why chocolates are so irresistible? They seem to fuel anyone’s taste buds and create an intense craving to people of different ages men and women alike especially the chocoholics. Chocolate is actually made from plants specifically the seed of the tropical cacao tree. So with the fact that it is obtained from a natural plant it can be expected that these delicious tasting chocolate have also a number of benefits be it physically or psychologically.

Dark chocolates contain flavonoids that act as antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals that leads to heart disease and even cancer. Flavonoids are even said to have an effect on lowering blood pressure by producing nitiric oxide.

It is undeniable that chocolates are used by a lot of people as a way of relieving their stress, sadness and poor mood for a certain time. Couples even choose this as an effective peace offering to their loved one after a petty quarrel. Well this is because apart from its delicious taste chocolates also stimulate endorphin production which creates a feeling of pleasure. It also contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.

But although chocolates have a lot of benefits towards health let us not forget that ‘too much of something is bad enough.’ Too much ingestion of chocolates may also cause dental decay and of course lack of control may increase your blood sugar to an abnormal level.


Tip:

Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate. These other two chocolates cannot make any health claims. Dark chocolate has 65 percent or higher cocoa content.

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