This has got to be one of the best ever celebration days: on 7th July it’s World Chocolate Day!
It’s a day for all things cocoa-based. And while chocolate may often contain a large number of calories and be loaded with too much sugar it also has considerable health benefits – as well as being just about the tastiest stuff on the planet!
The higher the cocoa content, as in dark chocolate, the more health benefits there are. Dark chocolate often contains less fat and sugar than other types too (but check the label).
Here’s why you can indulge on World Chocolate Day – and feel good about it:
- Scientists at Harvard Medical School in the US have revealed that drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day could help keep the brain healthy.
- Eating chocolate in moderation can lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels.
- It can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. In a study involving close to 45,000 people, Canadian scientists discovered those who ate chocolate were 22 per cent less likely to have a stroke than those who didn’t.
- Dark chocolate usually offers more health benefits than milk or white choc due to its higher cocoa content.
- Chocolate will improve your fitness training levels. The Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition reported that dark chocolate could boost oxygen availability during fitness training, meaning a dark choccie eater can train more vigorously and for longer.
So come on down to meet us, eat chocolate… and get super-fit.
