Five reasons to Eat Chocolate!

If you need more then the delicious alluring taste as an excuse to indulge here is five health benefits of consuming chocolate. But there are some rules…Avoid milk chocolate and choose dark chocolate with at least 70% coco or cacao, that way you receive the benefits with out excess sugar or fat.

1. Research shows that the antioxidant rich flavonoids in chocolate help reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke by 30% by increases flexibility of veins and arteries.
2. Good quality dark chocolate reduces cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods.
3. Chocolate can help reduce insulin resistance. Flavonoids increase nitric oxide production,” says lead researcher Claudio Ferri, M.D., a professor at the University of L’Aquila in Italy. “And that helps control insulin sensitivity.”
4. Flavonoid rich cacao improves brain function. Researchers from Oxford University and Norway looked at chocolate’s long-term effects on the brain by studying the diets of more than 2,000 people over age 70. They found that those who consumed flavanol-rich chocolate, wine, or tea scored significantly higher on cognitive tests than those who didn’t.
5. If all that is not enough studies also show chocolate increases happiness, decreases stress and eases anxiety!