The Pros and Cons of Chocolate

There are loads of benefits to chocolate but let’s not forget that it should be eaten in moderation. Chocolate is loaded with calories and a large consumption will increase your risk of obesity. Aside from the pleasure of eating it, chocolate is actually very good for you!

Chocolate contains antioxidants and flavonoids. That means it may have some anti-carcinogenic properties. The research on benefits to the heart and circulation is more well established. Researchers from the University of California discovered in 2006 that a particular chemical (epicatechin) found in chocolate does the following:

• Levels of nitric oxide in the blood were higher in individuals who drank flavanol-rich cocoa, compared to those who drank cocoa beverages with low flavanol levels. This showed that flavanols contained in the cocoa were actually absorbed and subsequently present in the bloodstream.
• Higher levels of the flavanol epicatechin in the bloodstream were accompanied by improved blood flow.
• In the laboratory, flavanols administered to samples of vascular tissue caused the tissue to relax.
• Pure epicatechin consumed by humans had much the same effect as did consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa.