Eat chocolate, be happy

Eat chocolate, be happy

Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tropical Theobroma cocoa tree. Chocolate contains many minerals necessary for health, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, polyphenols and copper. Many studies have found that dark chocolate is beneficial to health, especially when consumed in low amounts.

Cocoa and chocolate products have been used medically in many cultures for centuries because of their health benefits. Most of these benefits are due to flavonoids, which act as antioxidants, help lower blood pressure and balance certain hormones in the body. Dark chocolate in particular contains many more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate, which do not provide the same health benefits.

Some of the health benefits of chocolate include:

* Theobromine in chocolate reduces the mobility of the vagus nerve, which causes coughing.

* Cocoa is a very rich source of antioxidants. Since stress oxidizes the body, it is very useful to eat cocoa when you are stressed. These antioxidants also prevent aging and cardiovascular diseases, cancer.

* Polyphenol flavonoids in cocoa promote cell regeneration, reduce hypertension and reduce the risk of cerebral hemorrhage. Regular (dark) consumption of chocolate also helps regulate blood pressure and increase good cholesterol.

* Flavones contained in dark chocolate can protect the skin from the sun's damage.

* A study conducted in Finland found that chocolate reduces stress in pregnant women, and their children laugh more often than children whose parents do not eat chocolate.

* A chemical called epicatechin found in cocoa and green tea can help protect the brain from the formation of sticky proteins or amyloid plaques that develop in Alzheimer's disease.

*A study conducted in Sweden found that eating more than 45 grams of chocolate per week reduces the risk of stroke in women by 20%.