What contains antioxidants, lowers your bad cholesterol, lowers your risk of cancer, makes you happy and can be consumed on a daily basis? Chocolate.
Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, has many health benefits, so next time you eat Ghiradelli, Hershey's, Godiva, Lindt, Nestle, Dove, Cadbury or any other Chocolate, you will fell better about your health. I am very careful about what I eat and I try to be healthy and exercise daily, and I believe that chocolate, in moderation, is a good way to stay healthy. Eating Chocolate will benefit both your body and your mind.
Chocolate is made from the Cocao bean. The cocao bean is crushed into a powder called cocoa. Before the bean is ground, the shell and the cocao butter surrounding the bean must be removed. Cocoa is very bitter and cocoa-mix can be made by adding sugar.
We bake with unsweetened or semisweet chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate is bitter. Semisweet chocolate has some added sugar and maybe some added cocoa butter. Milk chocolate is a combination of cocoa powder, cocoa butter and milk or cream. White chocolate is not chocolate at all because it does not contain the cocoa powder from the cocao bean. The darker more bitter chocolate has the highest percentage of cocoa powder and the more cocoa the better it is for you.
Dark chocolate is good for maintaining a healthy body. Cacao beans contain flavinoids which occure widely in fruits and vegetables and their prinicipal function appears to be to protect these plants from disease and the damage which may be caused to them by extremes of light or heat. For humans, flavinoids keep cholesterol from gathering in your blood vessels. Flavinoids also help lower the risk of lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma and type 2 diabetes. Cacao beans also have a high percentage of antioxidants. The higher the cocoa content the better. Antioxidants attack destructive molecules linked to heart disease and other ailments.
Not only is chocolate good for your body is is also good for your mind. Chocolate is good for you psychologically because it has Phenylethylamine or PEA which works as an antidepressant and boosts serotonin levels. Higher levels of PEA are shown in our brains when we fall in love or have an orgasm. Casanova was reportedly the greatest lover of all time and he is said to have preferred chocolate over champagne as an aphrodesiac. Montezuma, the Aztec Chief drank 50 cups of chocolate a day to increase his stamina before consorting with his female companions. Chocolate helps your mind because it is also a stimulant. The stimulating action of chocolate promotes blood flow to the brain which enhances brain function. Caffeine is one of the stimulants in chocolate, but you would have to eat a pound of chocolate to equal the amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee.
Chocolate is made from Cocoa which has plant flavinoids, and antioxidants. Chocolate also acts as an antidepressant and stimulant making us feel better.
Eating Chocolate benefits both the body and the mind. If you ever question whether or not you should eat that piece of chocolate, never question again. After this information you should understand that chocolate is not only good, it's good for you. So, don't worry, be happy and have a piece of chocolate!
