8 Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate
Chocolate! Yummy, mouth-watering, irresistibly awesome, and devouring! Can you think of any other adjective that you can associate chocolate with? Tempting and delicious just as it sounds, chocolate is one of the most popular snacks and dessert options preferred by people across the globe.
But to its dismay, there are many people who consider this sinful delight a poison simply because it finds itself connected with various health effects, such as obesity, acne, and even cavities in your teeth. But nevertheless, when consumed in limited amounts, these yummy treats offer a myriad of health benefits, giving you enough excuses to grab another one.
Having a small piece of chocolate each day will not hurt you; instead, your body will thank you for supplying it with such a healthy supplement. If you don’t believe us, find out about the health benefits of chocolate.
Relieves PMS Symptoms
Chocolate is an excellent source of magnesium and magnesium is extremely helpful in easing menstrual cramps. Every 100 grams of pure chocolate or cocoa contains about 500 mg of this essential mineral. So, you have a good reason to eat chocolate before and during your periods.
Boosts Your Mood
Next time, whenever you are feeling low, take a bite of chocolate and kick out your feelings of low-esteem. Chocolate contains a number of compounds responsible for stimulating your mood and inducing calmness, such as theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine, tryptophan, and so on.
It also increases the production of endorphins in your body which reduces the ability of your body to feel pain and induces feel-good sensations.
Lowers Cholesterol
Chocolate contains flavonoids in high amounts that have been proved to reduce the amount of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Though chocolate contains a significant amount of fats, most of them are in the form of stearic acid, which has no effect on cholesterol levels.
Prevents Heart Diseases
Due to the high content of flavonoids in chocolate, it helps in lowering the risk of heart disease. The flavonoids assist in preventing fatty substances in the blood from oxidizing and clogging arteries.
The antioxidant properties of a chocolate fight against the free radicals in the body responsible for heart disease and other related health problems.
Prevents Cancer
Antioxidants are responsible for fighting against and destroying harmful free radicals in the body. These free radicals are the main cause of cancer. Chocolate contains antioxidants in large quantities. Every 100 grams of chocolate contains 13,120 ORACs (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Units).
Increases Libido
For those of you who want to have a better love and sex life, have loads of chocolate. Researches reveal that women who eat more chocolate get more feelings of sexual desire. As a result, there is a better and improved sexual function in chocoholics.
Having chocolate just before sex releases endorphins in the body due to which the body feels a great amount of relaxation and satisfaction.
Benefits Your Teeth
Your dentist must have strictly instructed you to stay away from chocolates lest they damage your surviving teeth, especially after you have got two of them removed recently. But believe it, chocolate is not that bad for your teeth as you always thought them to be.
The cocoa of chocolate contains certain substances that kill the bacteria responsible for causing tooth decay, thereby giving you cavities. Thus, it is the sugar that causes the trouble and not the cocoa.
Improves Your Skin
Not just for your body and teeth, chocolate is regarded as a great moisturizer for your skin, as it makes the skin soft, supple, and beautiful.
The flavonoids in cocoa absorb UV light from sun rays and protect the skin from tanning and burning, thereby improving its texture and appearance. Further, these flavonoids also help in reducing wrinkles and slowing down the aging process.
Now that you have discovered why chocolate is good for you with these surprising health benefits, reaching out for another bar wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
