Chocolate: Sweet Tooth Indulgence Or More?

It has been a really long day. Classes were brutal, you were up until 4 A.M. studying and your friend is mad at you for some unknown reason. It appears as though things could not possibly get any worse. Your gut reaction? Dig into that Hershey bar that has been staring you down at the convenience store for the past couple of days. But then you stop and think, “Wait, isn’t this unhealthy?” The answer is no. Despite chocolate’s reputation as an unhealthy snack food, it actually has many positive health benefits. Chocoholics can now rejoice for the very substance on which they binge is good for their health rather than detrimental.

For years chocolate has been criticized for its high fat content, excessive amounts of sugar and lots of calories, but what people seem to be missing is that chocolate has actual health benefits. Chocolate contains essential nutrients such as vitamins B1, B2, D, and E as well as calcium, all of which are important to consume daily in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Its healthiest form is dark chocolate, which has a stronger flavor as a result of less sugar than that of milk and other chocolate varieties. Studies have shown that “eating 100g of dark chocolate each day for 15 days lowered blood pressure” (Chocolate вЂ?has health benefits’). This is due to the plant phenols that are in cocoa, which are known to reduce blood pressure. Dark chocolate is also rich in flavonols, a type of antioxidant, which greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other heart related problems. Eating dark chocolate can even help reduce your risk of developing diabetes.

When it comes to that-time-of-the-month for women or any type of stressful situation, chocolate is often the go-to treat to help calm your mind and relax. But does a sugary snack food really have the ability to help you loosen up? Yes, it does. This is not just a placebo effect; chocolate really does possess the abilities to alter our moods. Chocolate contains a variety of chemicals including tryptophan and phenylethylamine. Tryptophan is considered by many to be nature’s love drug. It makes use of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. The more tryptophan, the higher the levels of serotonin and the greater the feeling of elation and ecstasy a person has. Phenylethylamine, in high levels, can produce increased feelings of attraction, apprehension, giddiness and excitement. Also, the consumption of chocolate releases endorphins, which dull your ability to feel pain. It was even found by scientists in Finland that the consumption of chocolate during pregnancy leads to “happier, livelier babies,” (Chocolate вЂ?makes for happy babies’).

Many false statements have been made about chocolate since it became a popular snack item. One of the most well-known myths projected by parents onto their children is that eating chocolate causes acne. Studies have shown that there is actually no correlation