Chocolate has always been a forbidden food. We love it but we aren’t supposed to. Now you can love it, like it and have more of it if you want. The experts have found out that there really ARE health benefits to eating your chocolate.

 

Where does chocolate come from?

 

Chocolate has enjoyed a long history but, suffice it to say, it comes from the cacao tree. Large pod-like fruits grow on these trees (out of the trunk to be exact) and they are cracked open to reveal a fleshy fruit and their seeds, cocoa beans. It is the seeds that are used to produce chocolate.

 

New Discoveries Regarding Chocolate

 

Like we said, chocolate has gotten a bad rap, until now. With the various types of chocolate, the one thing that is different is the amount of cocoa solids in each. Cocoa solids are made up of cocoa butter and cocoa.

 

The health benefits of the world’s favorite sinful treat come from the cocoa bean. Chocolate varieties that contain the most cocoa solids are the best for you.  

 

So, here’s the skinny. Chocolate is found to contain antioxidants. As we all are aware, antioxidants are substances that everyone wants to get their hands on these days. They help the body fight the ravages of time by combating free radicals in the body. The type of antioxidant found in chocolate is a flavonoid called flavonol.

 

Flavonoids work on the cardiovascular system. In any artery, high cholesterol levels can lead to fatty deposits adhering to the walls. These hard deposits are called plaques. They narrow the opening of the artery leading to an increase in blood pressure and the possibility of stroke.

 

High levels of flavonoids help to reduce that risk. They prevent cholesterol plaques from forming and ruining blood vessels. Cocoa beans have as much antioxidant flavonoids as red wine, blueberries, tea and other food substances that are antioxidant-rich.