Today, I am here to make you feel less guilty about your sweet tooth. That ‘after-dinner mint’ just doesn’t do the trick for me. I need chocolate to finish my meal. The good thing is, chocolate isn’t the worst of desserts; in fact, chocolate has its own health benefits.
To start, in 450 BC, the Aztecs believed that cocoa seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom. At that time, the seeds were valued so much that they were used as a form of currency and considered to be more valuable that gold. Chocolate was enjoyed by the upper-class and only eaten at weddings or other large celebrations.
And with that being said, you can gain wisdom and feel wealthy by indulging in even the smallest bite of chocolate.
It is safe to say that there have been many studies on chocolate since 450 BC and it has been proved that chocolate has many health benefits besides the increase of wisdom. Though it is true that chocolate can produce acne and high blood pressure, there are benefits in the cocoa bean itself. For that reason, we should stick to dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate, be more cocoa content, the more antioxidant potential and therefore, the more beneficial it is. Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidants, a study showed that it had more antioxidant activity than any fruit tested, which included blueberries and acai berries. Both of those fruits are known for their large levels of antioxidants. Dark chocolate also contains less fat and sugar than milk or lighter chocolate.
When you go to the store, there are tons different levels of dark chocolate. When I say ‘dark’ chocolate, aim for about 70% cocoa. You may need to work your way to the darker chocolate because it can seem really bitter at first, but adding a little peanut butter to it can always help do the trick.
Dark chocolate also has the ability to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate can produce Nitric Oxide in the lining of your arteries. One of the jobs of Nitric Oxide is to send signals to the arteries to relax. When the arteries are relaxed, it lowers the resistance to blood flow and reduces blood pressure in the body (Healthline). The results can be mild, and remember, we should still be eating chocolate in moderation.
Chocolate can also be beneficial for the cardiovascular system. "In a study of 470 elderly me, cocoa was found to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by a whopping 50% over a 15-year period” (Healthline). Dark chocolate, over a long term, causes less cholesterol to lodge in arteries which lowers the risk of heart disease. Start eating chocolate now! Even eating dark chocolate 3 times a week can benefit your health long term.
Even though cocoa seeds were not actually a gift of wisdom, they are still capable of improving the function of your brain. Dark chocolate may significantly improve cognitive function and verbal fluency in elderly people with mental impairment. Cocoa has substances that act as caffeine in them, this is a key reason why it can improve short term brain function.
Obviously going through a chocolate binge is not the way to go, but adding a bit of dark chocolate to your diet can help in the long term, and can help you feel less guilty about eating it now. So, next time you are in the chocolate aisle, you can splurge on the dark chocolate-covered almonds or pretzels.