Valentine's Day Chocolate

It seems impossible to separate Valentine's Day from chocolate. The two go hand in hand and seem to fit together so perfectly. They seem to be a perfect complement for each other because valentine chocolate tends to put people in the mood for love. What chocolate really does is stimulate "feel good" chemical receptors in the brain like serotonin and dopamine. Essentially, good quality chocolate serves as an effective anti-depressant as it relaxes nervous tension and boosts feel-good energy and even libido. So if you or your sweetheart loves chocolate and you are planning on getting some for Valentine's Day you have made a good, healthy choice.

Chocolate or cocoa which comes from the cacoa plant is rich in antioxidants and has many health benefits. In fact, ORAC tests which are used to determine the antioxidant qualities of foods, have found that pure cocoa has one of the highest antioxidant properties of any food. Antioxidants destroy free radicals in our bodies that cause cell and tissue damage. Pure chocolate is loaded with vitamins and essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium. The health benefits increase in proportion to the dark color of the chocolate so the darker the chocolate the more health benefits it has. White chocolate has not been shown to have the health benefits that dark chocolate has.

Didn't think your Valentine day chocolate could do all that? Here's more. In addition to helping to relax the nervous system by activating the "feel good" chemical receptors in the brain, chocolate has many other health benefits. Studies have shown that due to its high content of special flavonoids called flavanols, chocolate can help to reduce blood pressure, diabetes, and the risk of heart disease. The high magnesium content also helps to build strong teeth and bones. Chocolate also contains a high copper content. Copper is an essential mineral that helps the body carry out many important functions.

Chocolate provides caffeine in safe, small amounts and these small amounts are sufficient to increase energy, alertness, and intellectual sharpness. Some believe that eating small amounts of valentine chocolate actually helps to improve memory and may help to ward off dementia.

So if you are a chocoholic you can be happy knowing that you are doing your body a big favor by eating high quality dark chocolate. And this Valentine's day you and your lover can fall in love all over again once you start feeling the effects of those feel good chemicals from your valentine day chocolate.

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