It's Science: 5 Reasons Why Chocolate Is Actually Good For You
Everyone loves chocolate.
It makes everything better. Yet too often, we are made to feel guilty for eating it. We're told it's candy, has too much sugar and will make us fat.
Don't listen to the haters.
Chocolate is actually really good for you. So tell all of those people spreading chocolate shame that science says they're wrong.
Embrace the chocolate lover within. Say it loud, say it proud,
I'm in love with the cocoa.
As if we needed them, here are five scientific reasons why chocolate is actually really good for you.
1. Want to shed a few pounds? Eat chocolate cake for breakfast. Seriously. DO IT.
Why are you still reading this? Go eat chocolate cake for breakfast right now. Like a boss.
On a more serious note, a study from Tel Aviv University revealed that eating chocolate early in the day can help deter cravings for sweets and other unhealthy foods later on. But don't forget to mix in some protein and carbs. It's all about balance.
2. Dark chocolate is good for your brain.
Your brain is everything, treat it well. How does one do this, you ask? Eat some dark chocolate, my friends.
As neuropsychologist Diane Roberts Stoler notes, dark chocolate helps reduce inflammation after head injuries, and it's good for your memory because it contains the phytochemical flavanol. It also helps with your mood and depression.
Yes, yes, we all know that milk chocolate is sweeter and more delicious. But dark chocolate is delicious AND nutritious.
3. I heart chocolate because chocolate is good for my heart.
Multiple studies have found that dark chocolate is very good for your heart. Flavanol helps reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States.
If you eat a small amount of dark chocolate every day, it could help you avoid heart attacks and live longer.
4. Chocolate will make your skin beautiful.
German scientists discovered that chocolate is very good for your skin. As it turns out, flavanol is not only good for your brain and heart, it also helps protect you from the sun's UV rays.
This doesn't mean you should rub melted chocolate on your body as a substitute for sunscreen, but eating it could help prevent sunburn.
5. Chocolate will add years to your life.
Indeed, chocolate has numerous health benefits. It helps reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke and may even help you avoid certain cancers, as noted by Jake Heller in the Daily Beast.
Thus, it goes without saying that chocolate can help you live longer.
Jeanne Louise Calment lived to be 122 years old. Calment holds the record for the longest human life span in history, and she ate two pounds of chocolate every single week until she was 119 years old.
If that doesn't signal to you that chocolate will essentially make you superhuman, then you're obviously in denial, and you might need a hug. Seriously, let's hug it out. Chocolate and hugs make the world go 'round.
Lastly, it's important to remember that while chocolate has many health benefits, you shouldn't overindulge. Too much of anything can be unhealthy.
And stick to dark chocolate if you can, but don't be too hard on yourself if you occasionally cheat on it with milk or white chocolate.
It'll be our little secret.
Citations: Chocolate cake for breakfast will help you LOSE weight and keep it off says scientists (The Daily Mail ), Meal timing and composition influence ghrelin levels appetite scores and weight loss maintenance in overweight and obese adults (PubMed ), Dark Chocolate Good For Your Brain (Psychology Today), Eat Your Heart Out With These 11 Healthy Tips (Huffington Post), Why Chocolate Is Good for Us (New York Times), Cocoa chocolate and cardiovascular disease (PubMed), 11 Reasons Chocolate Is Good for Your Health (The Daily Beast), Jeanne Louise Calment worlds oldest (UC Davis), Long term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa provides photoprotection against UV induced erythema and improves skin condition in women (PubMed), Eating chocolate can stave off bowel cancer say scientists (The Daily Mail)
