Valentine’s day has come and gone, but hopefully you still have some chocolate left! If you don’t, you may want to grab some dark chocolate next time you are out because it has some surprising health benefits.
First, dark chocolate is good for your heart. Not only does is lower blood pressure, it lowers bad cholesterol, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce cardiovascular risk.
You may have heard that chocolate is bad for your skin, but don’t believe everything you hear! Dark chocolate is actually good for your skin because of antioxidants called flavonoids. Flavonoids can protect the skin from some UV damage.
Chocolate can also improve your blood flow. Cocoa has anti-clotting, blood thinning properties that improve circulation. These properties can also help with vision! An improvement in blood flow may increase flow to the retina.
Chocolate can also help lower your risk of stroke and helps boost your mood!
Before you go out and buy chocolate, make sure you buy the right kind. Stay away from milk chocolate; instead, get the darkest chocolate you can find. Also, always be wary of the sugar content and calories.