According to new research chocolate can now help you live longer – as long as you do not overindulge on it that is.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health are claiming that people who eat chocolate and other sweet treats at least three times in any one given month could live up to a year longer than those who stay away from it all together, or those who eat far too much of it.
Also according to the University of Cambridge people who love chocolate (specifically dark chocolate) could also be reducing the risk of many illnesses which include heart disease, diabetes and stroke. It helps release chemicals in the brain that reduce inflammation that could lead to heart disease.
Also one of the biggest reviews ever to be carried out in this sweet subject found that consuming at least two squares of dark chocolate every seven days where linked to a 37% fall in the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Those with a sweet tooth also saw a 29% drop in the chances of having a stroke in comparison with those who ate fewer than two pieces of chocolate a week.
Scientist have also found that dark chocolate contains an ingredient that boosts muscles in the same way as a running machine in the gym could do. This has only so far been tested on mice however, but they are looking at if the compound would have similar effects on us humans in the hope that it could counteract age related muscle wasting in the future.
Another great benefit to dark chocolate is that it has a low glycemix index, similar to that of oatmeal. This means that the sweet substance won’t send your blood sugar to spike and then crash, and the low glycemic index is not the only good news! Anyone who needs to watch their blood sugar will find that the antioxidants in dark chocolate and cocoa may aid the circulation of unhealthy blood vessels that could later develop into diabetes.
As well as all the great benefits to our health, most people will find that chocolate actually makes them feel good… but why is this exactly? Researchers have found that chocolate contains more than 500 natural chemical compounds, some of which have been categorized as mood-lifting and pleasure-inducing, resulting in chocolate being the number one comfort food.
