Saturday, October 20, 2007

A Chocolate Lover's Dream

My name is Linn. And I am a chocoholic
Trying to eat healthy is hard. Especially when you have a sweet tooth like mine. Put anything chocolate in front of me and I’m going to have a hell of a time trying to resist. So I wonder, is chocolate really that bad for you? Well, no one can deny chocolate isn’t the quintessential “diet food.” The sugar and calories in this delicious treat aren’t exactly waist-line friendly. However, chocolate is packed full of other health benefits.
Chocolate, which dates back to the Aztecs, is still somewhat of a mystery. Scientist all over are continuing to discover more and more benefits hidden in the over three hundred chemicals that make up chocolate. We already know that this sweet treat contains endorphins that make you happy and serotonin, a common anti-depressant. Maybe that’s why I dream about a giant chocolate bar after a bad day.
Chocolate has gotten a bad rap in the past. Luckily for us chocoholics, however, scientists have proven many of these myths for be false. No matter what your mother told you, chocolate does not cause acne or cause cavities. Although chocolate contains sugar, it also have properties that work against sugar's tendency to produce the oral bacteria that eventually leads to dental decay. In fact, researchers at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, New York, have proven that chocolate is one of the foods least likely to cause tooth decay because it contains phosphorous and many other minerals.
A recent study by Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment, has actually proven that chocolate contains four times as many antioxidants as green tea. So next time you’re craving chocolate, indulge a little. Hey, it’s good for you.

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