We’ve all had chocolate cravings. Maybe you walked past a candy shop and smelled the sweet aroma of melted chocolate. Or maybe you were on the checkout line at a supermarket and noticed the wide assortment of chocolate bars next to the register. Or maybe you were just sitting at your desk, working. Some give in while others mull over its health implications and decide against it.
But can a snack filled with sugar and calories really be beneficial to your overall health? According to an article by NPR, eating chocolate on a daily basis (up to 100 grams) can lower your risk of heart disease.
Ignoring the milk and sugar added to chocolate, compounds found in cocoa beans known as “polyphenols” can improve the health of blood vessels. This is according to a study published in the journal, Heart, which tracked over 20,000 adults in England over a 12-year period and found only 12% of those in the top tier of chocolate consumption had died from cardiovascular disease, compared to 17.4% of those who did not eat chocolate.
Of course this study doesn’t mean we should overconsume chocolate. But it does create a situation where chocolate could become part of a healthy diet. So next time you come to that tempting fork in the road, do your heart a favor and eat some chocolate!
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