Chocolove

 

 

What can I say, I love chocolate and am happy to say I enjoy a little piece of chocolate every day. 

Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Whether it was a box of truffles from Godiva or some chocolate-covered strawberries, there is a very good chance you were filled with the sweet goodness this past month.

 

And I have good news— chocolate is made from a functional food!

You may wonder, what is a functional food? Well, a functional food has a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.  It’s like using food as medicine.  Chocolate’s health benefits are largely attributed to polyphenol compounds called flavonoids—the same family of substances that are in tea, red wine, grape juice and other plant foods—which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-clotting properties.

Eating 1 to 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily may result in health benefits such as lower blood pressure, according to some research. However, any benefits from flavonoids must be considered against the calories, fat, and sugar you’ll get from chocolate.  Every second, 100 pounds of chocolate is eaten in America! Sure, the benefits of chocolate  are real but please keep in mind, if you are sitting around indulging in chocolate every day (and it is not dark chocolate), it may take a toll on your health in the long run.

Bottom line on regular chocolate consumption: Keep it simple, keep it dark, and keep it small. And enjoy the benefits!