Health Benefits of Chocolate

So many people adore eating chocolate, so it's easy to see its positive impact on people. But add health benefits to this amazingly delicious food, and you've got a perfect combination!

Why is chocolate good for our health?
The last couple of years have seen a whole host of studies conducted to determine the potential health benefits of chocolate. In addition to identifying the beneficial vitamins and minerals found in chocolate, including potassium, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus, we also know that chocolate can act as an antioxidant and can stimulate the production of endorphins and other feel-good chemicals in our bodies. Here's what they've found so far.

Disease-fighting antioxidant flavonoids
Dark chocolate that's milk-free and eaten without milk is very high in antioxidants according to a study done by Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome (milk seems to interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate). The antioxidant flavonoids specific to chocolate are called flavanols (procyanidins, catechins, and epicatechins).

Why are antioxidants important for a healthy body? Well, they eat up free radicals which are destructive molecules that have been connected to ailments such as cancer (lung cancer, prostate cancer), asthma, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. In particular, these antioxidants have several health effects on the heart:

Lowers cholesterol: Dark chocolate high in flavonoids will reduce LDL ("bad" cholesterol) oxidation and boost HDL ("good" cholesterol) concentrations in the blood. The higher the level of antioxidants in the blood, the lower your LDL oxidation will be.

Decreases blood pressure: Procyanidins trigger the production of nitric oxide which keeps arteries flexible and increases bloodflow. Additionally, these antioxidants may keep blood platelets from clumping together. Together these factors lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

To obtain these chocolate benefits, you'll need to consume dark chocolate which has a higher concentration of antioxidants. A chocolate made with 70 percent or more cocoa is ideal.

Feel-good endorphins and anti-depressants
Eating chocolate also has the benefit of stimulating the release of endorphins, those "feel good" chemicals that naturally occur in your body. These can help to lift the spirit, even with just a little bite.

Plus, chocolate is a known antidepressant and aphrodisiac. A chemical called phenylethylamine are responsible for these positive emotions. They may even be responsible for making you feel that you're in love. No wonder chocolate is such a romantic food!

Beneficial stimulants
Chocolate also contains stimulants such as caffeine (although in small quantities), giving it another way to boost spirits and increase feelings of happiness and energy. Plus, if you eat chocolate that's made with 70 percent cocoa or higher, you'll be consuming a food that's low on the glycemic index. This means that it will prevent wild fluctuations in your blood glucose and insulin levels. Compared to other high-sugar foods, dark chocolate is quite a bit healthier.

Milk versus dark chocolate
Unlike dark chocolate, milk chocolate cannot really make any health claims. Given milk chocolate's low levels of cocoa, it lacks the antioxidants found in dark chocolate.

Likewise, with white chocolate. Although white chocolate contains cocoa butter (which is sometimes replaced by other vegetable oils instead), it does not contain any cocoa solids. As a result, white chocolate contains no flavonoids, making it devoid of the antioxidant health benefits of dark chocolate.

To even be considered "dark" chocolate, a product must contain at least 65 percent cocoa. By comparison, the European Union requires that milk chocolate have 25 percent cocoa solids (there is no such regulation for milk chocolate in the US). According to a US Department of Agriculture study, "cocoa powders have the highest flavonoid content, followed by baking chocolate and dark eating chocolates."

How much is too much chocolate?
So we know that chocolate can have some wonderfully positive benefits on our human bodies, but how much is enough chocolate? And more importantly, how much is too much?

Recommended daily intake
Let's be totally clear: although chocolate does benefit the body by adding antioxidants and improving mood, it is no superfood. Pound for pound, dark chocolate can still be a high-calorie, high-fat food. It should therefore never be substituted for healthy, antioxidant-rich foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Nevertheless, when eaten in moderation, chocolate can be a great addition to an already healthy diet. Various experts tout different numbers when talking about the ideal amount of dark chocolate in the healthy diet. While some contend that 100 calories is enough to receive the benefits without adding too many calories, other argue that you can eat up to 100 grams (about 500 calories) of dark chocolate daily (this would be the maximum amount).

The key to knowing how much dark chocolate you can eat on a daily basis is how you balance the calories. Knowing how many calories you should aim to eat in a day is the first step. If you can have 1,800 calories daily, and you eat 100 calories worth of chocolate, then you know you can only eat 1,700 calories from other foods the rest of the day. Keep to that formula and you can't go wrong.

Remember, too, that you need to eat your dark chocolate milk-free. That means avoiding dairy products while eating your chocolate indulgence in order to get the full benefit of the antioxidants you're taking in.

And here's another tip for truly enjoying the health benefits of chocolate: eat it slowly! Chocolate contains over 300 compounds that each affects your body in different ways. Savor each bit of chocolate so that you eat in moderation and can sincerely appreciate all the good you're doing for yourself.

Consequences of over-indulgence
Without a doubt, dark chocolate has some wonderful health benefits. We can all enjoy a healthier existence with controlled consumption of chocolate. But we also know that too much chocolate can lead to weight gain, which would totally cancel any of the health benefits gained by eating this food. So be careful how much you consume on a daily basis. Too much of a good thing can turn into a health hazard.

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Can Chocolate Affect Your Sex Life?

From the time the first coca beans were harvested by the Mayans, there has been the belief that chocolate has a euphoric impact on the body's senses. The conquistadores saw the Emperor Montezuma of the Aztecs consuming a large quantity of cocoa in the form of a beverage called chocolatl before entering his harem. The invading Spaniards spread the Emperor's belief that cocoa was an aphrodisiac and brought it to Europe. This belief was also shared by one of history's most famous lovers, Giacomo Casanova.

Since then, the use of chocolate as part of the mating ritual has been firmly established. . More recently it has been shown that not only does chocolate increase the sexual appetite but also produces a sense of elation similar to an orgasm.

It has only been in recent times that scientists have unravelled chocolate's psychotropic properties and the effects it has on us. Chocolate has been found to contain modest amounts of the stimulants caffeine and theo-bromine, (much less than in coffee or tea) Chocolate is also known to generate increased levels of serotonin, a chemical naturally produced by the brain, which is known to reduce anxiety. Serotonin is most commonly associated with the effects of marijuana or getting 'stoned' (you would have to eat 25lbs of dark chocolate at once to achieve the same effect).

Neither of these properties by themselves provides the connection between eating chocolates and heightened sexual pleasure. It is in fact the rush of endorphins produced by eating chocolates, particularly dark chocolates, which is most similar to the bliss associated with a healthy sexual relationship. Chocolate also contains phenyl-ethylamine which is known to stimulate the release of dopamine into the pleasure centers commonly associated with an orgasm.

In addition to this scientific evidence, a great deal of behavioral research has been done to study the sexual behavior of women who eat a lot of chocolate and those who don't. The conclusion of this is that women who consume large quantities of chocolate have more satisfying sex lives. However the reverse correlation could also be assumed where women with satisfying sex lives tend to eat more chocolate.

Despite the fact that the relationship between sex and chocolate can't be proven with 100% certainty, the scientific evidence combined with behavioral studies provides a compelling argument for cocoa's impact on our sexual drive - it is convincing enough for chocolate to have become a part of my daily diet!

I recommend that you buy chocolate with a high cocoa content which taste better and do not contain extra sugars and oils like candy bars found in most shops. My personal favorite, Neuhaus chocolates, is an example of where you can get dark chocolate with a high cocoa content and a resulting surfeit of pleasure. To paraphrase the Song of Solomon, 'Stay me with flagons and comfort me with chocolates, for I am sick with love'.

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