The Aztecs and Mayans were the first to recognize the potency of chocolate – they’d celebrate the harvest of the cacao bean with festivals of wild orgies. Montezuma believed that drinking 50 cups of chocolate each day enabled him to better serve his harem of 600 women. For my NutriFit meal delivery service clients, I believe that it puts us in “the zone”. The zone of health, that is!
Science gives us another reason to enjoy this heady delight. Dark chocolate contains naturally occurring plant compounds called Flavonoids. These natural powerhouses are part of the polyhenol group.
Some of the key heart health benefits of chocolate include:
- Decreases LDL oxidation (Low-density lipoproteins, which are the unhealthy kind).
- Reduces stickiness of platelets in the blood, which reduces risk of blood clots
- May lower blood pressure
- Increases blood flow in the arteries- (Increased blood flow can lead to brain health benefits, including boosting memory, attention span, reaction time and problem solving skills).
Some psychological benefits of chocolate include improved mood and pleasure, by boosting serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain.
Finally, flavonoids absorb UV light, and so have a beauty benefit of keeping women’s skin more moist, smoother and less scaly. After all, better blood flow in general also means increased blood flow to the skin!
For all these reasons, and because I love chocolate, I’ve designed hundreds of delivered, healthy diets that include daily doses of the best quality, most delicious, guiltless decadent desserts.
