Celebrate with 5 Reasons Chocolate Might Improve Your Health & Happiness  

“Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good,” actress, Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: SVU fame once said. Hargitay was on to something. Chocolate is more than a sweet treat for bad days.

It’s a running joke that women reach for chocolate at the first sign of PMS, a rough day at work, when their kids are screaming at each other, and as a reward for checking off the list of daily chores. Several studies, however, suggest that chocolate does more for a woman’s body than just quiet the soul. The right chocolate in the appropriate quantity could have some health benefits too.

The right chocolate (although some will argue there can be no wrong chocolate) is dark chocolate. Although all chocolate is made from the seed of the cacao tree, dark chocolate contains the highest concentration of cacao, and therefore, the greatest potential health benefits.

Lower Risk of Stroke
A Swedish study published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that women who consumed the most chocolate—an average of two chocolate bars per week—were 20% less likely to have a stroke. Chocolate contains flavonoids with antioxidant properties that repress oxidation of “bad” cholesterol, or low density lipoprotein, which can help ward off cardiovascular issues such as stroke.

Keep in mind that European chocolates usually contain a great concentration of cacao, from which chocolate derives its benefits, than do American varieties. All chocolate, of course, contains milk and sugars that bring fat and calories to the party, along with caffeine that may be an issue for some women sensitive to it. So, eat your chocolate in moderation.

Lower Blood Pressure
Dark chocolate might also help lower blood pressure with the help of flavanols. Flavanols can stimulate the linings of arteries to relax slightly, allowing for better blood flow and lower blood pressure. Epicatechin, one of the antioxidants in cocoa, improves heart because its anti-inflammatory properties reduce pressure on arteries, and it also mimics insulin in the body, countering insulin resistance.

Improved Brain Function
Short term improvement of brain function is just another benefit attributable to the flavanols in cocoa.  One study used MRI to analyze the effect of on cognitive tasks in healthy young subjects who consumed 150 mg of cocoa flavanols for 5 days. The flavanol-rich cocoa seemed to increase the cerebral blood flow, and such that further studies may be warranted to determine if cocoa’s benefits might even reverse the damage from stroke or dementia. In the short term, the increased blood flow caused by chocolate might even make you smarter.

Reduce PMS Symptoms
Have you found yourself reaching for chocolate when PMS time hits? Your body knows what it needs—give in! Consuming chocolate releases endorphins that calm the body and reduce anxiety. Consider the cacao seed an insurance policy that PMS won’t get the better of you.

Reduced Stress
One study demonstrated that people who reported high stress levels at the onset of the study, felt less stressed after they consumed dark chocolate daily for two weeks. The doctor who conducted the study measured the participants’ cortisol levels at the beginning and the end of the study, and found that those who ate the dark chocolate had lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels than those who did not. The study proved what women have been saying all along—chocolate just makes you feel better.

Go ahead, reward yourself with a little dark chocolate when you’ve had a bad day! Recall memories of Halloweens past when you raced home with a pillowcase full of goodies, dumped it on the family room floor, and sorted your loot. Feel good about your choice because that sweet treat is packed with health benefits you had never considered before.