Health Benefits of Chocolate

Over the past number of years, more and more studies have been completed and they are confirming ancient wisdom, chocolate is good for you.

But you probably already know that it is not the stuff found in most commercial outlets. Specifically, most of the health benefits of chocolate are found in unprocessed, dark chocolate.

Chocolate Health Benefits

• Preventing and/or reversing cardiovascular disease by stopping LDL or “bad” cholesterol from collecting on and narrowing vessel walls, and lowering cholesterol levels. In August 2010, Science Daily posted a news story from Sweden reporting that “moderate consumption of chocolate is linked to lowering the risk of heart failure.

• Preventing the formatting of blood clots that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. Research that was presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in April of 2010 found that “chocolate is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which may have a protective effect against stroke”. However they cautioned that more research is still needed.
  

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• Increasing the flexibility of blood vessels, this helps to lower blood pressure and decrease stress on the heart. In June 2010, researchers in Australia reported that “for people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure.”
  
• Preventing diabetes by increasing the effectiveness of blood sugar utilization. Also by decreasing the complications of diabetes such as vision problems, amputation, neuropathy, kidney problems and the potential for cardiovascular complications.

• Preventing certain types of cancer.

• Preventing many chronic illnesses and effects of aging due to its potent antioxidant content.

• Preventing and/or reversing inflammation associated with arthritis, fibromyalgia or any inflammatory disease. In September 2008 Italian researchers found that “eating a piece of dark chocolate each day may help to reduce inflammation.” Read more about the natural anti inflammatory properties of chocolate here.

• Improving memory and slowing the progress of dementia. An article published by Science Daily in December 2008 found that “according to Oxford researchers working with colleagues in Norway, chocolate, wine and tea enhance cognitive performance.”

• Preventing dental cavities and gum disease. According to Japanese research in August 2010, “the cocoa bean husk that is part of chocolate has a compound that may reduce you’re chances of tooth decay and gum disease.”

  Find chocolate and other anti inflammatory foods at Amazon.com. They are full of great products for fighting inflammation.

• Improving skin quality and offering protection from UV damage.

• Improving liver function. Research presented April 15, 2010 at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Vienna, Austria showed that “doctors could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen.”

• Improving mood and lowering the risk of depression. A study published online in November 2009 in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research found that eating “about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed.”

Some of the most promising research that has been conducted over the past decade is in the area of the potential health benefits of commonly known natural substances. And research will continue on the many health benefits of chocolate. When you are ready to purchase chocolate, be absolutely sure you are getting its greatest rewards by determining how do I know if my choice of chocolate is healthy? The healthiest chocolate we know of is called Xocai and we highly recommend it. Click here for more details.

Want more research on healthy chocolate? Download the healthy chocolate white paper here.

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