Lucky for those chocoholics amongst us, it turns out we have a great excuse to indulge in our favorite sweet treat.  Because, believe it or not, chocolate is good for us!  Now don’t get too excited.  Not all chocolates are created equal.  Milk and white chocolates are much lower on the health-benefits totem pole as they have lower percentages of cocoa (the actual source of nutrients) as compared to dark chocolate.  Actually, white chocolate doesn’t contain any real cocoa, so you can just scratch it off your sweet-tooth-satisfying list.

Cocoa and dark chocolate are rich sources of flavonoids, plant compounds that have powerful antioxidant properties.  The benefits of these flavonoids include decreasing blood pressure, improving circulation, improving the flexibility of the arteries, preventing fatty substances from oxidizing, clotting and then clogging arteries, defending against free radicals and reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack.  They are also good sources of copper and magnesium which help to regulate blood pressure and heart beat.

But the benefits of dark chocolate and cocao aren’t just heart-specific.  They also contain other compounds with beneficial affects.  Theobromine, tyramine, phenylethylamine act as mild stimulants, giving your brain a boost; tryptophan (an essential amino acid) is a natural anti-depressant, helping to relieve anxiety through the stimulating the production of serotonin; and anandaminde promotes relaxation.

But buyers beware.  Chocolate is a calorie dense food item.  While only 1/3 of the fat in it is bad for you (the other 2/3 are healthy monounsaturated fats and saturated fats that have a neutral affect on cholesterol), eating too much will not benefit your waist line.  Moderation is key.  Enjoying a small piece of dark chocolate daily will provide you with health-sustaining antioxidants without adding on the pounds, as long as you adjust your diet for the calories.