Is Chocolate Good For Health?

A Valentine's Day overdose of chocolate may have attacked you, but people are ambivalent about its benefits. Is chocolate a Good Samaritan or a villain? On the one hand, it has been said to lead to acne and obesity, or even poison people if consumed in large numbers. But recently, research shows that low quantities of the right chocolate can be healthy, due to its chemistry, according to economist.com.

Chocolate's cocoa beans contain flavonoids, which are natural antioxidants. The epicatechin, one of the chemicals, helps the body get rid of free-radicals that would assist in preserving cell membranes and fighting cardiovascular disease.

However, flavanoids would not be present in commercial chocolate, as they taste bitter if they are heated and removed. Just raw cocoa and dark chocolate would contain these ingredients.

What is interesting is theobromine, which role-plays the hero quite well. Its molecular structure is similar to caffeine. However, caffeine's effects on the central nervous system are more effective, while theobromine works on the heart. Pushing up the heartbeat and dilating blood vessels makes theobromine bring down blood pressure, boosting 'good' rather than 'bad' cholesterol and stopping plaque from building up on artery walls.

Researchers found that for older people, chocolate can keep brains healthy and thinking sharp. Research subjects who drank two cups of cocoa daily for 30 days showed an 8.3 percent increase in blood flow to the brain. It also improved their memory and thinking, according to livescience.com.

Theobromine can also reduce symptoms of asthma, as it helps to relax the body's smooth muscle, such as that found in the lungs. Research shows that it is more effective at impacting coughs rather than codeine.

Most surprising of all, chocolate can fight tooth decay more effectively than fluoride. Theobromine helps to improve enamel and build a defence against erosion by acids.

However, eating too much chocolate can lead to theobromine poisoning, which may be deadly, or cause nausea, trembling, or headaches. Even animals, such as small dogs, for example, may die by eating as little as 100g of milk chocolate, because their bodies cannot metabolise theobromine quickly enough.

So you can indulge in the occasional guilty pleasure of chocolate---in small doses.