These polyphenols help to defend the body’s cells against free radicals from environmental toxins and diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and chronic inflammation. In fact, one study by Yale University Prevention Research Center indicated that chocolate contains more phenolic antioxidant than any other food.
Scientists have confirmed that dark chocolate is beneficial for our health. The greater cocoa content provides high concentrations of antioxidants called flavonoids,
Eating dark chocolate widens arteries and promotes healthy blood flow that can prevent the buildup of plaque that can block arteries.
Chocolate makes you live longer according to the Researchers at Harvard University in the U.S. studied 8,000 men for 65 years and found that those who ate modest amounts of chocolate up to three times a month, lived almost a year longer than those who didn’t eat any.
Most of us find eating chocolate so pleasurable, we release endorphins (also released during sex) in the brain. These have similar pharmacological actions as morphine, acting as pain-relievers and giving us a sense of wellbeing.
Chocolate contains a variety of chemicals some of which make us feel good by boosting our endorphins (those feel good hormones). Chocolate may also boost serotonin levels that help us to feel relaxed. Some forms contain caffeine, which give a boost of energy along with the calming effect.
Happy Talk
The simplest reason that eating chocolate makes you feel good, and me happy, is that the store version contains a bunch of added sugar and fat, both of which cause the release of endorphins (natural opiates) when you eat them – fatty and sugary foods are loaded with energy and this release of endorphins probably evolved to encourage hungry cavemen to eat as much of them as possible whenever they got the chance to store fat for the lean times that were always just around the corner
Scientists have revealed that eating chocolate – in reasonable amounts – makes you feel emotionally better and so improves the smooth running of your body’s endorphins. It even protects against heart disease.