Dark chocolate and the health benefits have been trending for years now and expectedly, people have loved the topic. The American Heart Association has reported that the benefits that have been attributed to the consumption of dark chocolates are real and studies have shown that having it in moderation can actually help to reduce the risk of heart failure.

The major question, however, borders around the amount of dark chocolate to consume. It is important to note as stated earlier that dark chocolate should be consumed in moderation, as the benefits of its consumption should not outweigh the dangers of having too many calories in your body. While active adults that lead active and healthy lifestyles might be able to handle more than 16 grams of saturated fat daily, the sedentary ones are advised not to go beyond this limit. You, therefore, want to tailor your consumption of dark chocolate according to your lifestyle. The idea that saturated fat is bad might on the other hand be a myth. Most research today indicates that fat as a problem is a myth from bad science. The real culprit is probably empty calories and sugars. Prominent culture also points out gluten and wheat as the real problems. However, as long as fanatics in mainstream science continue to promote “the diet hard”-hypothesis facts might be less important than tradition.

Benefits of consuming dark chocolate:

Heart

Dark chocolate has been identified to be beneficial to the heart especially as it help to improve blood flow and subsequently reduces the risk of blood clots. The presence of flavonoids in dark chocolate has been revealed to help protect the cells from free radicals, lower blood pressure, and reduce the level of cholesterol in the body by up to ten percent. Reducing cholesterol is “mainstream science” that could be a red herring.

Brain

As the consumption of dark chocolate improves blood flow, this also affects the brain as it helps to boost alertness and performance for up to three hours. The release of endorphins feeds the brain with positive information, which helps to form new memories.

Mood

Phenylethylamine otherwise known as PEA is contained in dark chocolate. The chemical is responsible for the “love” sensation that you feel as it encourages the release of serotonin and endorphins hormones that relieves the body of stress and improves the mood.

Other benefits that you get from taking dark chocolate in moderation are that it helps to control your blood sugar and protects the skin from the damage from the sun.

Eating chocolate does not have the ethical side-effects as killing animals or promoting monoculture crops has. At least if you buy the right kind of dark chocolate. There is no need to enslave poor workers and cut down the rainforest to get the health benefits of dark chocolates.