CHOCOLATE PLEASURE

               Read this post, it may change your life!
This may very well surprise you, but did you know that one ounce (about ¼ of a chocolate bar) of the dark chocolate contains a huge antioxidant punch!
You’ve probably heard that cocoa is rich in antioxidant flavonoids called flavanols, which include procyanidins, epicatechins, and catechins. Dove Dark, made by Mars, Inc., contains Cocoapro cocoa, a proprietary, specially processed cocoa that contains super high levels of flavanols—so high that Dove Dark is used in medical research.
Studies have shown that people with high blood levels of flavonoids have lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes. So that’s what they do, even if you can’t pronounce the scientific terms:-)

They found that only the Dove Dark had heart-healthy benefits: It reduced LDL oxidation and boosted antioxidant levels of HDL concentration in the blood. The Dark Dove chocolate instudies kept blood platelets from clumping together. In the test tube, Cocoapro cocoa reduces blood clotting. It may also stabilize arterial plaque, making it less likely to travel and cause a stroke or heart attack. This effect is similar to that of aspirin. It also increases blood vessel flexibility. Unlike aspirin, some of the procyanidins trigger the production of nitric oxide, which helps keep arteries flexible and increases blood flow.
Did you know that?
• A 1 1/2-ounce square of chocolate may have as many cancer-fighting antioxidants as a 5-ounce glass of red wine.
• Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure. Remember, you do have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.
 • Chocolate stimulates the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the "runner's high" a jogger feels after running several miles. In Europe chocolate is often called “hormone of happiness”:-)

• Not all chocolate is heart healthy. White chocolate, which a Harvard researcher points out is "not really chocolate at all," and milk chocolate may expand the hips rather than help blood flow. And none of the instant cocoa mixes in the local grocery store contain the flavonoids that improve blood vessel function. After reading this I will only buy dark chocolate from now on!
• It is a known fact that chocolate has caffeine in it. But, did you know that you would have to eat more than a dozen chocolate bars to get the same amount of caffeine from a cup of coffee? There are about 5 to 10 mg's of caffeine in one ounce of bitter chocolate, 5 mgs in milk chocolate, and 10mgs in a six-ounce cup of cocoa. And this is why we need our cup of coffee in a morning:)
• Chocolate is actually a valuable energy source. A single chocolate chip can provide enough energy for an adult human to walk 150 ft.

• Chocolate has great health benefits. It helps with depression, high blood pressure, Tumors and Pre-menstrual syndromes.

• Chocolate does not cause or aggravate acne, this is a myth.

• One ounce of baking chocolate or cocoa contains 10% of the daily recommended intake of iron. Deficiency of iron in your blood leads to anemia.

• Chocolate can be deadly for dogs. Chocolate contains an ingredient called "Theobromine" which can be toxic to a dogs central nervous system and cardiac muscles. I wish my 2 beggers knew that:-)

• People spend more than $7 billion dollars a year on chocolate – add me to this number:-)

I hope you found my post interesting and educational. Just remember not to overdo your chocolate treatment by doing this:-)))))

        Waiting for your comments and feedbacks and if you have any questions – Ask Erena!