Five reasons chocolate is good for you

There are different types of chocolates  and since it's sugary, we all know it contains calories.

But did you know? the darker the chocolate, the greater the health benefits. Dark chocolate is packed full of antioxidants and minerals with impressive qualities.

Milk chocolate still contains some goodness, but in much smaller amounts – in fact, it has 2-4 times fewer antioxidants and flavonoids than dark.

Don't feel bad for going against your diet because chocolates have great benefits which include:

Forget the old wives’ tale that chocolate will make you break out in spots – the latest science shows that dark chocolate is actually good for your complexion.

This is because cocoa contains flavonol, a type of phytochemical that boosts skin hydration, plumps up the density, and improves blood flow to the surface.

It’s also fab for boosting your skin’s natural protection against sun damage – you won’t want to ditch the sun-cream, but you may want to think about munching your way through a few squares before you head off on hols.

Dark choc is chock-full of goodness, with 100g of the good stuff containing up to 67% of your recommended daily amount of iron.

It’s also full of healthy minerals like immunity-boosting zinc. And potassium, which is good for balancing blood pressure.

Of course, we don’t recommend that you regularly tuck into

100g in one sitting – it also contains 600 calories and a fair bit of sugar, too.

We all know that chocolate makes us feel better, and there’s more to it than just a pick-me-up from having a treat. It contains phenylethylamine in small amounts, which is the same chemical our brains make when we fall in love. There’s a special boost for the more mature brain too: those same flavonols that give your skin a glow are also linked with a reduction in memory loss.

According to recent studies, dark chocolate has some pretty impressive benefits when it comes to keeping your arteries healthy and unclogged. It helps to prevent white blood cells from sticking to the walls, and works towards keeping your arteries flexible.Eating a moderate amount of good-quality chocolate can also lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. One study showed elderly men who ate a small portion of dark chocolate five times a week were 57% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

Cocoa has been proven to lower levels of bad cholesterol while raising levels of the good stuff. Dark chocolate has also been linked with a reduced risk of stroke, with one study showing a risk reduction of 17%.