Good news for chocolate lovers out there! Contrary to popular myths, chocolate is not as harmful to your health as you once believed. When consumed in moderation, this sweet may bring health benefits. Keep reading for a list of some of the reasons chocolate isn’t necessarily a guilty pleasure.
1. Chocolate isn’t the reason you have cavities.
While it may contribute to cavity formation, chocolates aren’t the only things you should watch out for. Sweet foods, in general, including fruits, have sugars that lead to an acid build up that weakens the enamel, eventually causing cavities. If cavity-protection is your biggest concern, then limit your consumption of sugary foods by incorporating them into your main meals.
Bonus health benefit: A study in Harvard suggests that drinking two cups of chocolate daily reduces the chances of memory loss.
2. If you’re trying to lose weight, chocolate isn’t your biggest enemy.
What causes stomach flab is not the cocoa, but the added butter, sugar, and milk. In fact, a recent study indicated that there is a visible link between increased chocolate consumption and lowered BMI. If you’re still not convinced, there are always healthier options, like chocolates with Stevia sweeteners or with at least 70% cocoa content.
Bonus health benefit: Dark chocolates have high level of antioxidants that are good for the heart. According to a health study by a group of Italian researchers, flavanols, antioxidants found in cocoa beans, have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure and preventing chronic inflammation.
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3. Chocolate doesn’t hit you with too much caffeine.
When munching on a chocolate bar, you need not worry about the heart palpitations because chocolate isn’t very high in caffeine. A 1.6-ounce chocolate bar contains only 9 mg of caffeine, no match for a tall Starbucks coffee, which has 260 mg of caffeine.
Bonus health benefit: The same flavonols in the cocoa beans have anti-cancer effects because they help prevent tumor growth.
If you thought chocolate was your deadliest enemy, you’re wrong. Discoveries by modern science are slowly telling us it can be part of a healthy regimen.
Just remember, like with all other types of food, eat with discipline, care, and most of all, grace.
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