20 Reasons Why Chocolate Is The Best Food In The World
#1 Chocolate is a natural painkiller
Eating chocolate with high amounts of cocoa triggers the release of happy hormones called endorphins and increases serotonin levels in the brain, activating pleasure centres that make you forget all about that headache.
#2 Chocolate is better than kissing!
A 2007 study looked at the heart rates and brain waves of couples kissing, then of the same couples eating chocolate. Turns out, everyone had a more intense reaction to the chocolate. This leaves us wondering, how about kissing while eating chocolate?
#3 Chocolate doesn’t make you break out
Fact. German researchers have even shown that chocolate can be good for your skin! It has flavanoids, which help absorb UV light and increase blood flow to your skin, making it look healthier.
#4 Chocolate boosts your energy levels
The caffeine and theobromine in chocolate means it's a reliable daytime pick me up! Dark chocolate contains more of these energy boosting agents and much less sugar than lighter chocolate, so it won't give you a post-sugar crash.
#5 Chocolate is relaxing
Just the smell of chocolate is enough to induce theta brain waves, which are the hallmark of a relaxed mind.
#6 Chocolate makes you smarter
A study found that five days of high-flavanol chocolate consumption improves blood flow to the brain. People who regularly ate high-flavanol chocolate also have higher cognitive abilities in old age. Another study showed that people who consume high amounts hot chocolate are better at mental arithmetic.
#7 Eating chocolate prevents tooth decay
Ok ok, we're not saying it's good for your teeth, but it's better than pretty much every other kind of sweet food. The cocoa in chocolate has an antibacterial agent that helps offset it's sugar levels. And once again, the darker the better.
#8 Chocolate helps you recover after a hard session at the gym
A study at Indiana University showed that cyclists who had chocolate milk after a ride recovered better than those who had a sports drink.
#9 The Mayans used cocoa beans as a currency
Mayans prices their goods in term of their worth in cocoa beans: A slave was 100 beans, a turkey was 20 beans, and the services of a prostitute cost 10 beans! So stock up, because you never know when we're going to revert to this system.
#10 Chocolate supports a long lifespan
A British Medical Journal study found that regular chocolate eaters had lower mortality rates than non-chocolate eaters, perhaps because of the antioxidants in chocolate.
#11 Chocolate lasts forever! (Sometimes)
A 60 year old Hershey's chocolate bar was discovered in Admirable Richard Byrd's cache at the South Pole. It had been frozen under the ice for decades, but it was still edible.
#12 Chocolate can give you night vision (sort of)
Another study has shown that eating a large chunk of chocolate gives you better vision in low-contrast situations, like driving at night!
#13 Chocolate can help you avoid diabetes
That statement's pretty counter-intuitive, but it's all about moderation. The flavanoids in chocolate have anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory effects, all of which help increase insulin sensitivity, preventing the onset of diabetes.
#14 Chocolate is good for your heart
Dark chocolate has high antioxidant levels, which makes it great for your cardiovascular system! Dark chocolate widens arteries, promotes healthy blood flow and can reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 33%.
#15 Chocolate can help you lose weight
I know, what?! A Danish study has showed us that eating dark chocolate fills us up and helps control our hunger pangs.
#16 Chocolate makes you a better mom
Chocolate eating moms handle stress better, and are generally happier than moms who abstain.
#17 Chocolate boosts your libido
Italian researchers have shown that woman who eat chocolate have more sex than those who don't! Chocolate eaters also had higher levels of arousal and desire, and get more satisfaction from sex.
#18 Chocolate calms your bowels
Good bacteria in your gut feed on dark chocolate to produce anti-inflammatories that help to calm your bowels.
#19 Chocolate is nature’s cough syrup
Doctors will prescribe you cough syrup with codeine, which usually works, but it'll make you drowsy and it doesn't taste very good. Research has shown that chocolate relieved coughs almost as well as cough syrup, probably because of all of that theobromine.
#20 Chocolate keeps your looking youthful
Chocolate is rich in polyphenols, which slow the aging process by protecting cells from damage that occurs naturally over time.
So eat up! But remember, dark chocolate has a lot more health benefits that light chocolate, and, as always, everything in moderation!
