For years, we’ve been told to eat healthy and exercise daily, but who can resist the sensual temptation of a Godiva Cappuccino truffle, a Ghirardelli Evening Dream Bar, or a classic Lindt treat? Gosh, even a milk chocolate Hershey kiss will do in a pinch when getting a yen for chocolate.
News broke last week from a new study with a burst of excitement … chocolate may be GOOD for you. WooHoo. A recent discovery of PHENOLIC ACTIVE COMPOUNDS (anti-oxidants) found in THEOBROMA CACOA (cocoa seed) has shown to have abundant benefits by eating chocolate, particularly dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has a higher concentration of these compounds with little sugar while milk chocolate still contains the beneficial compound but with higher sugar content.
There are health risks and those include a high calorie count and a contributing factor to bone density health. However, the potential benefits include: blood pressure improvement, mood enhancement, appetite reduction, stroke prevention, improved memory, increased HDL cholesterol (the good kind), reduced cardiovascular risk, lower stress levels, and even skin improvement. This doesn’t give us the green light to stuff ourselves with high quantities of chocolate but it does give some satisfaction minimizing our guilt when enjoying an occasional dark truffle.
More research is still being done and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check with your physician before adding chocolate to your diet. Since seeing my family physician last week, I now hear a Dove Dark Promise calling my name.
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