Valentine's Day is a celebration of love and thankfulness for each other, but the fact that chocolate comes in little heart shaped boxes on Valentine's says something about another thing we can look forward to. Because it is loaded with antioxidants, "feel good" chemicals and some other important nutrients, chocolate is a "sweet" that you don't have to turn away the other 364 days of the year. This year, instead of picking up those delightful little heart shaped boxes, be glad to know that chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, is something you don't have to feel guilty eating, at least in moderation.
While most of us have grown up believing that chocolate is full of calories and tons of sugar, pure cocoa and dark chocolate are actually loaded with cell-protecting antioxidants.
Antioxidants are found in plants, and if you remember correctly, chocolate doesn't come from the factory, it comes from the seed of a fruit of the cacao tree that is found in Central and South America. Antioxidants protect cells in your body by getting rid of free radicals. Surprisingly, dark chocolate and cocoa have more antioxidants than blueberries, red wine (red grapes) and tea. And, besides antioxidants, chocolate also contains the minerals copper, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and iron and the vitamins A, thiamin, C, D and E.
Several studies published in the Journal of Nutrition and Journal of the American Heart Association, show that dark chocolate helps reduce plaque build-up in arteries, and reduce blood pressure as well as other Cardiovascular Disease risk factors. The heart healthy benefits of chocolate are from its high content of antioxidants, more specifically flavanols. The antioxidants, by reducing free radicals, help prevent the development of plaque on the blood vessels. Scientists have also found that chocolate triggers the production of nitric oxide, which is responsible for relaxing and dilating blood vessels causing a lowering of blood pressure.
Chocolate also promotes the body's production of certain chemicals like, phenylethylamine (PEH) and serotonin, which may improve your mental health. The PEH in chocolate releases endorphins in the brain; ironically, these hormones are also released by the brain when people fall in love: No wonder we celebrate chocolate on Valentine's Day. Serotonin calms anxiety, and also reduces depression and improves sleep. Interestingly enough, serotonin is also one of the chemicals that sends the satiety (I'm full) signal to the brain when eating, so having a little dark chocolate after a meal can satisfy not only your sweet tooth, but can actually leave you feeling full.
Instead of other candies that make blood sugars rise quickly and then crash, dark chocolate doesn't negatively impact blood sugar. In fact, chocolate's antioxidants are capable of helping glucose get out of the blood and enter cells where it can be used for energy, lowering blood sugar.
While chocolate clearly has some health benefits, it is relatively high in fat making moderation in consumption key. Moreover, while milk chocolate is fine every now and then, darker chocolates or cocoa powder are healthier. If you don't prefer the taste of dark chocolate or pure cocoa powder, try dipping strawberries, bananas, apples or even almonds in a dark chocolate. You'll be sparing yourself some calories, and getting all the nutritional benefits. Though dark chocolate isn't very sweet, the fruit's natural sugars will make it an indulgent snack.
The next time you have a craving for chocolate, remember with its high amounts of antioxidants, and other nutrients, the once "forbidden treat" can do wonders for your mind, body and soul. This Valentine's, take heart chocolate lovers because chocolate just got a whole lot sweeter.
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