10 Reasons to Never Feel Guilty About Eating Chocolate

Photo by Malik Skydsgaard

Even though it has the reputation of a bad guy, causing weight gain, chocolate has 10 health benefits linked to it.

1. Chocolate is rich in phytonutrients called flavonoids, a group of natural substances with anti-inflammatory properties found in fruits, vegetables, grains, tea, wine, and more.
2. Flavonoids may play a role in cancer prevention, heart health, and weight loss. They can also help produce nitric oxide, which sends signals to the arteries to relax, lowering the resistance to blood flow, consequently lowering blood pressure.
3. Dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao, 70% and more, tastes more bitter and has more flavonoids.
4. Scientific studies have shown that raw, unprocessed cocoa beans are among the highest-scoring foods tested for antioxidants.
5. Studies show that the darker the chocolate, the healthier it is. The higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity, and other beneficial effects.
6. Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Iron, and Phosphorous are a few of the nutrients found in dark chocolate.
7. Studies found that eating 48g of organic chocolate, 70% cacao, enhances neuroplasticity for behavioral and brain health benefits.
8. Chocolate contains valeric acid, a relaxant, and a tranquilizer that helps reduce stress.
9. Chocolate also promotes the production of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter known to have calming effects.
10. A controlled study found that cocoa powder raises HDL (good cholesterol) and protects LDL (bad cholesterol) from oxidation. Oxidized LDL reacts with free radicals, making it reactive itself and capable of damaging other tissues, especially the lining of the arteries in your heart.

Note: As healthy as dark chocolate is, remember that it still contains sugar and fat, don't go totally overboard:)

Bonus interesting facts:

• Ever had the chocolate surface turning white? It is the sugar rising to the surface due to excess moisture. It will still taste the same.
• Chocolate originates from a fruit — the cacao pod, which grows on the Theobroma cacao tree — famous as a fruit plant.
• A cacao pod would contain 30 to 50 beans, which are the seeds of the fruit, shaped like a flat almond and surrounded by a sweet pulp. Eventually, these beans get transitioned into cocoa powder or chocolate.

By Ritta Wakim, founder of The True Vegan Body, who helps people over 40 build a knockout body and get addicted to healthy plant-powered eating.