Already stockpiling the Quality Street and planning your Christmas Day breakfast of a bag of chocolate coins, followed by half a Terry’s Chocolate Orange? Well, here’s some good news – researchers now believe that people who eat chocolate three times a month have a lower risk of heart failure than those who abstain. Getty - Contributor Our favourite indulgent treat has some amazing health benefits Plus, previous studies have found choccy could help lower blood pressure, boost memory, improve gut health and even help us live longer. “Chocolate has long been marketed as a ‘sin’, so we feel guilty eating it,” says Dr Duane Mellor, a dietician at Coventry University. “But it’s not a bad food. It’s high in calories, but it can contain a reasonable amount of zinc, magnesium and iron.” We heart chocolate Getty - Contributor Dark chocolate is rich in health-booting ingredients “While chocolate contains saturated fat, it doesn’t cause the same damage other types of this fat do, such as raising the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol,” says Duane. “Some studies show chocolate can actually improve the health of blood vessels and lower cholesterol.” The key is thought to be plant chemicals called flavanols, which the cocoa bean is particularly rich in, including one called epicatechin, the same health-boosting compound found in virtuous green tea. Go with your gut Getty - Contributor Eating dark chocolate three times per month could reduce the risk of serious health problems One new interest for scientists is whether the plant chemicals in chocolate could also be good for your gut, says Duane. “When our gut metabolises these compounds, they may become more active,” he explains. “Or it could be when the gut bacteria break them down it might allow certain strains to become more dominant, which might have benefits for our overall health.” Anthony Joshua celebrates his 29th birthday with a delicious-looking 7,500 calorie chocolate cake, topped with in Maltesers, Ferrero Rocher and Oreos Scientists from Louisiana State University have reported that when you eat dark chocolate, it’s gobbled up by good bacteria in the gut, allowing them to flourish, rather than bad strains of bacteria, which can cause problems such as bloating and constipation. To give yourself the best chance of benefiting from cocoa’s gut-friendly goodies, combine it with fibre by stirring a scoop of cocoa powder into your porridge, or adding a couple of tablespoons to a bean-rich chilli. Good for the soul Corbis - Getty Chocolate has been proven to elate our mood There’s a reason we reach for the chocolate when we feel a bit low – the hit of serotonin (the happy hormone) we get from it, explains nutritionist Laura Thomas. “We eat chocolate because it’s delicious – and that’s OK!” she says. And if you’re the sort of person who ploughs through your entire advent calendar by December 2, it could be that you’ve subconsciously put chocolate on a list of bad foods – and that’s more likely to lead to a chocolate binge, adds Laura. “It’s because we tell ourselves we’re not allowed it. As soon as we place a restriction on a food, our cravings for it get dialled up, our appetite for it is stimulated and we eat it in a compulsive way.” Reality star Naz Mila seductively eats a chocolate covered banana and shows off dance moves in Instagram video Dark matters Getty - Contributor The new study means we can enjoy chocolate happily, and in moderation, over the festive period Admittedly, most of the research into the health benefits of chocolate doesn’t come from studies asking volunteers to eat a bit more Dairy Milk. “A lot of research uses a product specially made for studies – a type of flavanol-rich cocoa powder,” explains Duane. disturbing trend 'Cloutlighting' boyfriend covered girl's tampon in chilli and filmed her PUT IN THE ELF-FORT Elf on the Shelf - the best ideas and places to hide your elf MISSED SIGNS Student, 19, 'told she had asthma SIX TIMES' only to be diagnosed with cancer DOO-DOO YOU DARE? You can buy singing Baby Shark cuddly toys for your kids this Christmas Revealed NAME GAME The baby names predicted to be HUGE in 2019… inspired by shows like Bodyguard LIFE SAVER Mum suffering anal cancer tells Lorraine The Sun's Deborah James saved her life “This can mean it’s hard to know exactly how much the findings apply to the kind of chocolate we eat. You’re not going to get very much epicatechin in your average chocolate bar, for example.” Dark chocolate is generally considered the best kindfor health benefits as it contains the most flavanol-rich cocoa solids (milk chocolate contains more milk and sugar, while white chocolate contains cocoa butter – but no cocoa solids at all). To get the amount of flavanols some trials quote as the minimum needed to affect blood pressure, you’d have to eat around 280g of milk chocolate or 50g of dark chocolate. Sounds OK to us! Holly Willoughby screams in terror as she's blindfolded and forced to lick chocolate mousse on Celeb Juice Source: Icahn School of Medicine
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