As Valentines draws near I thought we should explore the awesome side of chocolate that is good for your body, and skin.  This chocolate is known as dark chocolate.  Many of us prefer milk chocolate that contains a large amount of milk or white chocolate that is not really chocolate but the milk-based product added to dark chocolate to make it milk chocolate.  While these two are tasty and don’t have the bitter flavor dark chocolate so they are just simply for eating and don’t have a large amount of benefit to the person consuming them.  Chocolate comes in many forms so come along with me on this journey of darkness to make your midnight nibble a good thing.

Chocolate has a fun and interesting history goes back to 1900 BC.  It was thought that cacao seeds were a gift from the Aztecs god Quetzalcoatl (the god of wisdom).  They believed the seeds ground and made into a drink acted as an aphrodisiac, the drink was mixed with spices or corn puree and was very bitter.  In the 16th century chocolate was used in Europe as an aphrodisiac, however, they added sugar to the drink. History of chocolate

So what can dark chocolate really do for my health?  When we say dark chocolate we are not talking about the kind that is full of sugar.  So make sure to check the labels of your chocolate before consuming large quantities.  Dark Chocolate is chucked full of fiber, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, caffeine, and minerals.  Dark chocolate also brings antioxidants to the table to help you so make sure to dip your blueberries in dark chocolate for a double dose.  It is believed by some studies that dark chocolate can elevate your blood pressure while others say it will increase blood flow and decrease your blood pressure. Hurrey in some studies it has shown that dark chocolate can help reduce heart disease and diabetes by decreasing LDL and raising HDL levels.  One of my favorite side effects of dark chocolate is its ability to increase blood flow to increase protection of my skin against damage from the sun, yet another reason why my skin is soft and does not require sunblock.  With increased blood flow dark chocolate can also help with increasing our cognitive functions.  This is all good news for our bodies and minds.  Just remember to eat in moderation and to watch the sugar intake. 7 Proven Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate