Chocolate: Surprisingly Healthy!

Who doesn't want to enjoy the sweetness of chocolates? I believe that everybody loves chocolates, except for those who are very much afraid of fats that this terrific and tasty dessert may contain. But, what if, one day you heard some facts about chocolates and realized that after all these years of avoidance, getting paranoid and having fears of eating them because of the fats that can cause any harm to our bodies, you will find out that chocolate is indeed one of those foods that you always seek due to health concern. Some might doubt about this, but that is the naked truth behind these tempting sweets.

Chocolate is one of the most popular and tastiest types of foods that will likely stay at the top of most people's favorite food lists, even Filipino restaurants serves chocolates for dessert, and many of those variants are top sellers. Many people find it very enjoyable to eat, but there are a lot more that treats them as one of those dangerous foods you can ever have and apparently, only few knows about the real facts about it. There are actually numerous facts that are associated with chocolates. It is proven that some how, chocolates do have nutritious content.

Since chocolate is made from cocoa plant, it contains flavonoids which are also present in dark vegetables with many health benefits, it acts as a powerful antioxidant that protects our body from aging caused by free radicals, which may cause serious damage that can lead to heart disease. A larger number of antioxidants is present in dark chocolates, nearly 8 times greater than the numbers found in strawberries. It also Helps to relax blood pressure, another benefit from flavonoids through the production of nitric oxide, and maintains the balance certain hormones in the body.

Regarding about the fats, yes, chocolates do have fats, but the good thing is that these fats do not actually impact your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid. Oleic Acid is a good example of healthy monounsaturated fat which can also be found in olive oil while stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one research shows that it has a neutral effect on cholesterol. Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, this is the one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk. That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is not good for you.

Chocolate was used as medicine during the 18th century. It was believed that chocolate could cure a stomach ache. It is also good for our heart. A small bar each day can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Scientific studies revealed that, consuming a small bar of dark chocolate each day can help lower an individual's high blood pressure level. Studies also reveals that it can reduce LDL cholesterol (which is bad for you), by up to 10 percent.

Aside from being a tasty treat, it can also be used as a great ingredient for cooking, check out the recipe here. Chocolate also promotes the production of a hormone called endorphin, which gives us the feeling of being happy, it contains serotonin, which is primarily known to be an anti-depressant. It also contains theobromine, caffeine and other stimulant substances, but to be able to get the same amount of caffeine from a cup of coffee, you must eat more than a dozen of chocolate bars which is a bad news for your teeth.

An ounce of bitter chocolate can yield a good 5 to 10 mgs of caffeine, while milk chocolate have 5 mgs of caffeine, and 10mgs of caffeine in a six-ounce cup of cocoa. It is actually a source of energy. Can you imagine a single chocolate chip can fuel a full grown man for him to walk a distance of 150 ft.? An ounce of cocoa or baking chocolate contains 10% of the daily recommended iron intake.

So, go ahead and give these irresistible treat a try. Chocolate has a lot of benefits to offer you but always keep in mind that you should eat in moderation because eating too much of everything is harmful.

Do you have any interesting facts about chocolates? Please share them with us.