What are the health benefits of eating chocolate?

Answer 1

High in antioxidants, good for the heart and cholesterol.

The related link outlines the top ten benefits without boring you!

Answer 2

Your questions is an excellent one and I am glad you asked it. Be very careful about these different studies as to what is good/bad for blood pressure or anything to do with the heart. One thing that is good for you believe it or not is cooking oats (cereal) and apples. If you eat this every day it does help and doctors don't seem to know why as well as keeping your cholesterol down. Don't eat ready-made oats, but do it the old fashioned way and cook it (doesn't take that long.) Slice some apple over top. Here is info on your chocolate and please be careful and don't buy into all these quick studies that have not been thoroughly proven. Still, a little chocolate wouldn't hurt you just for enjoyments sake and it is noted that medium/Dark Chocolate can reduce depression in some people (that has been a proven study): Dr. Claudio Ferri and his colleagues at the University of L'Aquila in Italy says that chocolate COULD have therapeutic value as well. Dr. Ferri asked 15 people, all healthy, to eat 100 grams of dark chocolate or 90 grams of white chocolate every day for 15 days. The subjects did not eat chocolate for the next 7 days. They then switched to the other chocolate type for 15 days. Here are the findings: Dark chocolate, but not white chocolate, MAY HELP reduce blood pressure and boost the body's ability to metabolise sugar from food. When they ate dark chocolate the 15 healthy people showed lower blood pressure and increased sensitivity to insulin, an important factor in metabolising sugar. In contrast, eating roughly the same amount of white chocolate for the same period did not affect either blood pressure or insulin sensitivity. Dark chocolate contains flavanoids, an antioxidant which helps the body by neutralising potentially cell-damanging substances known as oxygen-free radicals, a normal byproduct of metabolism. DR. FERRI URGES CAUTION, AS DARK CHOCOLATE ALSO HAS A LOT OF FAT AND CALORIES. THUS, THOSE ADDING CHOCOLATE TO THEIR DIET NEED TO SUBTRACT AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF CALORIES BY CUTTING BACK ON OTHER FOODS TO AVOID WEIGHT GAIN. DARK CHOCOLATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE (HOGWASH!) Dr. N.C. Joshi, a consultant with Nanavati Hospital and Wadia Hospital, Mumbai, rubbishes the findings of the survey. "The whole concept could be a marketing strategy to fool people" he says. These are the reasons Dr. Joshi states for his conclusion: Dark chocolate has 80 calories per serving whereas white chocolate has 916 calories per serving. This difference in 836 calgories could be the cause for low blood sugar levels with dark chocolate and could be misinterpreted as the ability to metabolise sugar. THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVERY WERE HEALTHY. HOWEVER, IT IS ILLOGICAL TO TRY AND REDUCE THE BLOOD PRESSURE OF THOSE WHO HAVE A NORMAL COUNT ALREADY. Blood pressure does not depend on a single factor like antioxidants (flavanoids), which are contained in dark chocolate. Thus, it cannot solely act to lower blood pressure of a normal person within 15 days. MARCY'S COMMENT: So, as you can see from the above, there is absolutely nothing conclusive that chocolate lowers blood pressure. Be careful what you hear and how you react to it. If you want to pursue other methods for yourself or a loved one re low blood pressure, see a good licensed Homeopathic doctor. I live in Canada and more people are disillusioned with the general medical methods of pills, pills and more pills and each one has a side effect and are starting to seek out natural methods. BE WARNED: IF YOU OR SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY HAS THIS HEART CONDITION PLEASE STAY WITH YOUR SPECIALIALIST, BUT DISCUSS WITH HIM/HER THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEEK OUT HOMEOPATHIC METHODS AS WELL. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING THAT COULD INTERFERE WITH YOUR MEDICATIONS! Another Comment:

Dark chocolate is thought to be healthy because it contains antioxidants and stearic acid, both of which can improve cholesterol levels. That'd be about it; doesn't mean "the chocolate diet" will cure you though.

Generally eating large amounts of chocolate is ill for your health. It contain large amount of saturated fats and little healthy vitamins or minerals. You should avoid eating too much chocolate on a daily bases, one to two servings a day is enough for a healthy diet. Physically chocolate isn't very healthy for you, mentally it is however. Chocolate releases endorphins causing you to feel happy.
Too much chocolate can be bad for your health as chocolate contains a lot of milk, fat, sugar, and calories and very few actual nutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Chocolate releases endorphins, a group of peptide hormones that occur naturally in the brain and effects the way you feel.

Answer 3

Dark chocolate can actually be good for you! If you don't eat too much, it can possibly lower your blood pressure, and it is an antioxidant. This is only dark chocolate, though; not milk or white chocolate.

Answer 4

chocolate that is more that 70% cocoa is good for you it can improve the look of your skin and do other things as well

stay away from Milk Chocolate!

Answer 5

Aztecs believed that drinking chocolate would give them strength and power. At least that's what I've heard.

Answer 6

Dark Chocolate is the healthy chocolate for you, it can lower cholesterol