HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FOR YOUR VALENTINELet's face it. We're all going to eat chocolate for Valentine's Day. But there's no need to feel guilty! Chocolate is actually good for you…it's all
things added to it that are
problem. Here's how you can choose delicious healthy chocolates for your Valentine.
HEALTH BENEFITS
The gift of chocolate to a beloved as a token of love is more than just tradition. Naturally-occurring compounds in chocolate produce that mild euphoria of being in love and contribute to enjoyable interpersonal relations by elevating mood and enhancing sensory perception.
Beyond good feelings, chocolate benefits
body in many ways. In moderation, chocolate can contribute to heart health, help you live longer, suppress a chronic cough, and add needed magnesium to your diet. Chocolate even contains a high level of chromium, which can help control blood sugar.
Chocolate does NOT cause acne, most headaches, or hyperactivity, and does not raise cholesterol.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
While chocolate itself is fine to eat, there are some substances present in chocolate products that you should watch out for.
Most chocolate products contain tremendous amounts of refined white sugar, which is harmful to health in many ways.
Chocolate may also contain pesticides. The EPA allows various levels of pesticide residue to be present in cocoa powder, and
FDA Total Diet Study found them in many chocolate products.
Many chocolates also contain
toxic metals cadminum and lead. "Significant levels" of these metals were found in 68% of
common chocolate products tested. There is no safe level for lead, and it is particularly harmful to children.