Is eating chocolate actually good for my heart and brain?
When everything I LOVE to eat is terrible for my waistline and health, I am savoring a new study that says that CHOCOLATE helps keep the heart’s blood vessels healthy. Yup! According to Baylor College of Medicine,
“Chocolate contains heart healthy nutrients such as flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols and stearic acid, which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol.” The study found that eating chocolate more than once a week can decrease coronary artery disease by 8%.
In other words, the antioxidants in chocolate help reduce inflammation, improve blord flow, and boost mood and concentration. It helps keep plaque from building up in the lining of blood vessels, and it reduces blood pressure and helps prevent stroke and heart failure. And if that isn’t enough good news, chocolate improves blood flow to the brain, which may improve cognitive function.
Dark chocolate has more benefits than white or milk chocolate, and it’s best to get chocolate that not highly processed. I like Lily’s Dark Chocolate Almond bars. They’re sweetened with stevia and they have 55% cocoa.
It’s nice to know that my favorite dessert is actually good for my heart and memory.