The Truth about the Health Benefits of Chocolate

Many people are wondering why a chocolate gift box is a good to offer because what most of us don’t know are the health benefits of chocolate. Certain kinds of chocolate are apparently good for us according to the doctors at the Cleveland Clinic as longs as it’s eaten in moderation. Some forms of chocolate do contain a high level of chemicals called flavanol. There is a healthy amount of scientific research done to indicate that flavanols can lower blood pressure and cholesterol and improve blood circulation. Flavanol is also an antioxidant which can help the body’s cells resist damage from free radicals.

The Truth about Chocolate's Healing Power

Chocolate can be good for health, but the problem is that many processed chocolates such as chocolate bars and candies often found in a chocolate gift box don’t contain enough flavanols to do any good, indicated an article on the Cleveland Clinic’s website. The processes used to make commercial chocolate apparently take the flavanols or flavonoids out of the cocoa from which chocolate is made.

So if you want make your girlfriend or wife healthier and allow her to experience the health benefits of chocolate, you should probably add dark organic chocolate in the chocolate gift box next time. The Cleveland Clinic recommends to avoid purchasing a chocolate gift box that contains Chocolate that has undergone Dutch processing since Dutch processed chocolate is treated with alkali which removes the flavonoids.

Organic or Commercial Chocolate

The best way to get the health benefits of chocolate is to consume a dark organic chocolate. There are organic chocolate bars that contain a high number of flavonoids mostly and that are available at health food stores and some supermarkets. People who are concerned about their health should probably avoid most of the popular commercial chocolate candies because they are made from milk chocolate. The Cleveland Clinic also reported that commercial milk chocolate found in the average chocolate gift box simply doesn’t contain enough of the flavanols to do any good.

That could soon change because chocolate manufacturers are becoming aware of their product’s potential health benefits. The clinic's study shows that a number of chocolate companies are trying to develop healthier chocolate bars and candies that are rich in flavanoids. This means that it should soon be possible to buy healthy chocolate from anywhere.

Chocolate and Fat

The really good news about organic chocolate fat is that it contains large amounts of stearic and palmitic acids – the good substances found in olive oil. Doctors believe that these substances neutralize the cholesterol in chocolate. However, even though chocolate may not be extremely fattening, people should still be careful about what they buy because many chocolate products contain other fattening ingredients such as marshmallows.

The best product to buy and eat is the dark organic chocolate with limited consumption to a few ounces a week. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a chocolate gift box containing small pieces of dark chocolates will be an appropriate gift for a person who is concerned about his/her health.