While you may "heart" chocolate, it turns out chocolate "hearts" your heart too. According to one Swedish study, eating a square of dark chocolate every day may reduce the risk of having a heart attack by 39 percent, as reported by Women's Health. Additionally, research published in Chemistry Central Journal in 2011 found that, because of the special flavonoids found in its cocoa, dark chocolate contains more antioxidants — which help keep blood pumping smoothly to your heart — than many fruits, including blueberries and acai berries. In fact, according to Women's Health, dark chocolate contains five times the amount of flavonoids than an apple!
However, don't think this is an excuse to avoid incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet. "I think the key point is that chocolate is a wonderful treat, but it's not really a health food," Harvard Medical School professor, Dr. JoAnn Manson, MPH, DrPH, told Healthline. Yes, this sweet treat contains antioxidants that may increase your heart health, but chocolate still "tends to be high in calories, saturated fat, and sugar," she added.
But still, one small square can't hurt. After all, the heart wants what it wants.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57kWlsbXBpZMSpsc1msKitXZqutXnCoaacp5yWwaZ5xK%2Bcq7Fdma66edOhoKxlmah6uLTArWShmaClsq%2B%2FjK2mZrGfqr9urs6dsGg%3D