Chocolate isn’t a health food… but it’s fun to pretend it is at Easter
Easter is fast approaching — that time of year we all pretend chocolate is healthy as we doze off in a delicious sugar haze.
But while chocolate is a firm “sometimes food”, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some benefits we can all use to justify an Easter pig-out.
RELATED: What’s the healthiest chocolate?
It boosts good cholesterol
One of those benefits is an improvement to your good cholesterol: A 2004 study found that eating 75g of dark chocolate a day (that’s a pretty hefty amount — a standard block of Lindt chocolate is 100g) boosts HDL cholesterol levels, because cocoa powder contains a type of antioxidant called polyphenols.
It makes you smarter
In 2016, a University of South Australia study indicated that people who ate chocolate more than once a week performed better on cognitive tasks, possibly because cocoa contains flavanols — a type of polyphenol linked to improved cognitive function because they improve blood flow to the brain.
It makes you a better athlete
When it comes to chocolate’s health benefits, darker is always better. That’s once again true in the case of athletic performance: Researchers from London’s Kingston University determined that eating 40g of dark chocolate every day is linked to more efficient oxygen use in cyclists’ bodies.
The investigators speculated that it’s down to dark chocolate boosting your levels of nitric acid. So switch out that nasty pre-workout mix for a teaspoon of peanut butter, a shot of black coffee and a square or two of Lindt 90%.
It helps you recover from a workout faster
In liquid form, chocolate has been touted as the ultimate sports recovery drink. The combination of carbs, protein and fats in a carton of chocolate milk purportedly gives your body all the nutrients it needs after a big workout, a finding suggested by several studies.
It makes you happier
According to the American Chemical Society, your brain produces a compound called anandamide — a neurotransmitter named for the Sanskrit word for “bliss”, so no surprise that it’s linked to good vibes.
Chemicals in chocolate, and especially dark chocolate, slow down the natural breakdown of anandamide and extend its blissful effects. Other research has suggested chocolate causes the brain to produce natural opiates and stimulates the same parts of your brain as cannabinoids like marijuana — more reasons why chocolate makes us happy.
It’s good for your heart
More reason to eat dark chocolate: as well as containing antioxidants that are good for your cardiovascular system, it also improves your insulin sensitivity, which has positive flow-on effects for your heart health (as well as other organs like your liver).
A 2016 study found those benefits came from eating an incredible 100 grams of dark chocolate a day — nom.
It feeds good bacteria in your gut
Your gut microbiome, the name for the microorganisms in your digestive tract, is home to trillions of little critters. Some of them are good, and some of them are bad — and the good ones “feast” on dark chocolate, according to the American Chemical Society.
The good bacteria ferment the chocolate and turn it into anti-inflammatory compounds that have a host of beneficial effects within your body.
It’s a source of vitamins and minerals
It bears repeating: chocolate isn’t really a health food, and there are absolutely better places to source your nutrients. But once a year, it’s fun to pretend chocolate is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Those present in chocolate include protein, vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.