Have Your Chocolate (And Eat It, Too!)

What says Valentine’s Day more than flowers and chocolate? Few things are more delicious and satisfying than a chocolate dessert, or even a piece of a high-quality chocolate bar. But chocolate often gets painted as a dietary villain—after all, it is quite high-calorie compared to other foods, and has been anecdotally reported to cause breakouts and migraines, and can’t possibly contain any nutritional value. Or can it? Chocolate lovers, here are a few reasons why you can push your guilt aside and head straight for the Godiva. Chocolate has been shown to have the following benefits:

• It improves memory and focus The cocoa flavanols found in most chocolate products have been shown to reduce damage to nerve pathways, as seen in Alzheimer’s patients. These same flavanols help boost blood flow in the brain and may help you feel more alert: a small British study showed that those who consumed chocolate beforehand performed better on counting tasks.
• It’s a Heart Helper Cocoa’s inflammation-fighting properties have been shown to protect the heart, helping increase blood flow to the muscle and even lower cholesterol. The British Medical Journal suggests that regular consumption of chocolate can help lower the risk of developing heart disease by up to one third.
• Its more “diet friendly” than you think Dark Chocolate is high in fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer and may help reduce your cravings for other junk food.
• It’s good for your skin Chocolate is also good for the largest organ of your body—your skin. Despite the belief that chocolate leads to breakouts, the antioxidants found in dark chocolate are good for your complexion, and may even protect it from damaging UV rays.
• It’ll help boost your mood How good does it feel to indulge once in a while? Plus, with chocolate now known to provide all of these health benefits, you should feel even better about allowing yourself a little bit of chocolate now and then.

Just remember… A healthy daily serving of dark chocolate is about 1 oz.

~Maria Capuano