Is Chocolate Really Healthy For You?

Chocolate has been around for over three thousand years and has been loved by all, no matter what country, religion or nationality you may be of. It is so versatile it can be used in cooking spicy foods, desserts or even in skincare and perfumes. The aroma of chocolate itself seems to evoke a sense of well-being. Recently, it has been in the news for its amazing health benefits, which range from weight loss, improving breathing difficulties, curing skin problems, preventing bad cholesterol from forming on blood vessel walls to improving memory and dementia. Dark chocolate is better for you because of the high percentage of cocoa solids which means there is less sugar. Some say the flavor is also better. Dark chocolate also contains a really great antioxidant which is said to fight off things such as high blood pressure, S.A.D, and even heart disease!

A study at Pennsylvania State University, compared low-flavonoid and high-chocolate diets and found that people who ate lots of chocolate had higher antioxidant levels in their blood and less of the bad LDL-cholesterol. All this makes sense because pure cocoa is an extremely rich and natural source of very potent nutrients that prevent and neutralize many diseases.

It is loaded with flavonoid antioxidants which assist the above-mentioned health benefits. There are several companies which provide a variety of healthy chocolate products from drinks to delicious cookies. I will offer a few of my favorite ones. Health by chocolate formulated by Dr. Phillip Cohen has a delicious bar for Women who crave chocolate during PMS and menopause, which contains chaste tree berry, soy, rose oil and flax. They offer 3 different bars and even a chocolate drink. Another is Dolphin natural chocolates which is non-dairy and available in eight flavors. You can also find fruit dipped in their dark chocolate such as papaya, apricots or pineapple.

Probably one of the most widely available is Xocai healthy and gourmet chocolates available in many delicious products. You will find that these products all taste better than most. Probably the best way to try it is to check out the variety pack which offers you the drink, protein bars, Chocolate nuggets and the omega bars. The omega squares are packed with essential fatty acids, which gives you an excellent source of Omega-3.

Their products are said to contain more antioxidants than any healthy chocolate available. So go ahead and give in to your cravings. Just make sure you remember there is chocolate out there to benefit your health and then there are just chocolates.