Chocoholics Rejoice..Chocolate is Healthy?

I've always considered chocolate to be one of the most
decadent, satisfying and unquestionably addictive foods on
this earth (along with countless other women, I'm sure).

It's been there for me as a pleasure-producing comfort food
through rough times, blue moods and trying times on the
job. So, how could something that elicits such feelings of
bliss be "bad" for me?

Well, researchers are now saying that chocolate, especially
the high quality variety, offers certain unique health
benefits never before discussed or studied. Now, does this
mean it's ok to consume a king sized Hershey bar every day?

No, of course not. Because you see, unfortunately along
with the indulgent good flavor and body of chocolate, there
comes an inherent "unhealthy" factor in the sugar and fat
added to accomplish it's distinct texture and flavor.

The ingredient in chocolate that gives it that unique
flavor that so much of us crave as "comfort food" is cocoa,
and this is also the ingredient that packs the nutritional
compounds of which I am speaking - not the sugar or the
fat. The healthiest type of chocolate that you can eat is
actually the darker chocolates, because they typically
contain more cocoa and less sugar and fat.

The darker chocolates also tend to be more bitter, but that
is actually my favorite type of chocolate as opposed to the
creamier, less cocoa-concentrated version, milk chocolate.
Whether you're a dark chocolate or a milk chocolate fan,
you still receive some sort of nutritional benefit even
from the lighter, creamier stuff.

So, what is this "healthy" nutrient that the cocoa in
chocolate gives us? The cocoa bean, from which cocoa
powder is derived from, contains a fairly potent
concentration of antioxidant nutrients, so the more cocoa,
the better.

If you're a dark chocolate lover, this means you get more
of that antioxidant benefit delivered to your blood stream,
which helps to ward off unhealthy tissue growth and
destroys free radicals, the arch enemy of the healthy cell.

Chocolate not only imparts rich nutrient benefits when
consumed in moderate amounts, but studies have also shown
it elevates the mood, which partially explains our
emotional connection with chocolate, AKA addiction. OK,
aside from the rich texture and taste bud tempting taste.

There has actually been research done where the unborn
fetuses in a mother's womb who consumed chocolate exhibited
elevated signs of activity. Researchers came to the
conclusion that the chocolate consumption of the mother
subsequently improved her baby's temperament, which
translates into the adult term for "happy".

Chocolate has even been called the most high impact food
when it comes to cravings and mood. When we crave
chocolate, we tend to crave it when we are feeling low
emotionally. The likely mechanism of chocolate's mood
altering abilities is it's ability to make the body produce
endorphins. Endorphins are essentially the primary
"pleasure chemical" which is emitted by the brain and cause
pleasurable sensations of well being and contentment.

Whether the endorphin release is caused simply by the good
taste of chocolate, or whether there is some actual mood
altering chemical in chocolate is still up for debate.
Whatever the case may be, it cannot be ignored that many of
us, especially women, equate eating chocolate with pleasure
and comfort, and there is definitely a reason for it.

Chocolate consumption will always be a sure thing when it
comes to mood enhancement. We have to be prudent when
consuming chocolate though, since the effects of the sugar
can actually cause us to crash and feel worse.

Another unfortunate fact is that chocolate is high in
calories and can definitely add up if you consume it
several times a day, or you over do it on the portion. So,
the next time you feel that irrestistable urge for
chocolate, grab a mini chocolate bar, and get those
antioxidant, mood boosting juices flowing!

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Danna Schneider is the founder of
http://www.herbalnewsmagazine.com , a daily online magazine
all about herbal and alternative health, and
http://www.mybeautyspace.com , which reviews and talks
about beauty products and procedures.