5 Reasons Why Chocolate is Actually Good for You
If you feel bad every time you eat chocolate, now’s the time stop.
Even if you’re not a chocolate person (which is weird because who doesn’t like chocolate?), this article is still for you!
Chocolate or anything covered, dipped, coated in chocolate is my weakness.
I mean, think about it. Chocolate makes the perfect study snack and dessert. It’s something to munch on when you’re bored, it helps the broken heart, and it’s a delicious gift too. It uplifts our mood and makes us happy.
It’s the greatest problem solver in history.
But chocolate can do much more than appealing to taste and healing a broken heart. Chocolate is the ultimate disease-killing medicine.
Not that we need a reason to eat chocolate, but here are five excuses to eat a little chocolate every day guilt-free.
1. Cocoa Powder? More Like Cocoa Power
Did you know eating small amounts of chocolate reduces the risk of getting heart disease?
Chocolate’s main ingredient, cocoa, has the power to reduce risk factors for heart disease.
Cocoa beans contain Flavanols, which are more prevalent in dark chocolate. Flavanols have antioxidant effects, preventing cells from damaging and help lower blood pressure.
Not only that, but unlike chocolate, cocoa offers many health benefits. Crushing cocoa beans and removing the fat — cocoa butter makes cocoa powder low in sugar and fat.
Cocoa is also rich in polyphenols. It enhances brain function and blood flow, reducing risks of getting neurodegenerative diseases.
Cocoa also contains a compound known as pentameric procyanidin. This reduces the risk of cancer by disrupting the ability of the cancer cells to spread.
If you enjoy chocolate in almost anything, add cocoa powder to your milk or oats! It makes a delicious breakfast.
2. The Greatest Mood Stabilizer
We often question how chocolate makes us happy and why it’s such a perfect mood stabilizer. After conducting some research, I’m here with answers.
Various studies proved that chocolate consumption improves symptoms of depression and reduces stress. This might be because cocoa contains Flavanols, the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, the natural mood stabilizer.
Tryptophan is an acid found in chocolate. The brain uses it to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that produces happiness.
One study even claimed that high-polyphenol cocoa makes you calmer. Another study discovered that eating chocolate boosts health and psychological well-being.
3. Chocolate, the Key to Brain Activity
Eating 2–3 pieces of dark chocolate fuels my brain, and I enter ‘productive mode.’
That doesn’t mean you should eat dozens of chunks and bags of chocolate to become an intellectual. Eating small amounts of chocolate has a positive effect on our intellectual abilities.
After going through past studies, researchers of the University of L’Aquila learned the benefits of Flavanols found in chocolate and cocoa.
The researchers discovered that the group who consumed measured amounts of cocoa had better adeptness on reasoning tests.
Dark chocolate also helps people who have severe insomnia and moderate sleep loss.
To all the caffeine lovers, dark chocolate contains that brain booster, improving mood, concentration, and memory. So, stock your cabinets and secret stash of sweets and get snacking!
4. Chocolates, Dopamine, and Endorphin
The four happy hormones produce similar positive feelings and emotions that chocolate promotes. Chocolate releases dopamine and endorphins in our bodies.
Chocolate affects our dopamine levels, a neurotransmitter playing a pleasuring, motivational role in our brain’s reward system. An increasing level of dopamine signals our brain, prompting us to have more of what caused the increase.
This action influences our behaviour towards the thing giving us a sense of pleasure. It also explains why we have the longing desire to bite down on a chunk of chocolate and relive the satisfaction when it touches our tongue.
There is also a link between chocolate and endorphin, a chemical that neurons communicate with, triggering a positive feeling within us.
Researchers discovered that the main ingredient in chocolate, cocoa, releases the feel-good chemicals in our brains — endorphins.
To have this chemical release reach its maximum level, it’s essential to understand the different between dark and milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate comes with a bitter taste, which is pure cocoa. The more milk and sugar we add to balance the bitterness, the less pure cocoa we have.
So, although milk chocolate makes us smile instantly, pure cocoa means more endorphins.
I love both dark and milk chocolate, but for those who prefer milk chocolate more, stick to what makes you feel good.
5. Major Stress Reliever
Whether it’s school, work, or personal problems, we’re looking for ways to get a break and become stress-free.
Chocolate can contribute to making you feel a little more relaxed on your bad days.
Entrepreneur John Boitnott mentions in his article that one of his friends keeps chocolate for emergencies in her purse. During stressful situations, she grabs a bite or two or three. It helps elevate her mood and calms her down.
I’m considering doing this from now onwards.
So, the next time your workload piles up, run to the store or kitchen and relish yourself in some chocolate. You might want to keep some in your car, office, purse or bag in case.
After all, there is no wrong moment or situation to eat chocolate.
The Deccan Chronicle writes in one of their articles:
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.
If these five reasons aren’t enough excuses to have chocolate as an emergency, study, or boredom snack, consider rereading.
