So Im curious as to what everyone thinks about this...

Compiled studies find:

• eating chocolate releases endorphins in the brain, which act as pain-relievers,

• eating chocolate boosts one's appetite, but does not cause weight gain,

• the sugar in chocolate may reduce stress and have a calming and pain relieving effect,

• eating chocolate does not give someone acne or other skin eruptions,

• eating chocolate does not trigger migraine headaches,

• eating moderate amounts of chocolate makes one live almost a year longer,

• eating chocolate reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer


So what do you think? Is eating chocolate good or bad?

Just to add to the list.

Meta-analysis boosts cocoas blood pressure lowering effects
Meta-analysis boosts cocoas blood pressure lowering effects

ScienceDaily: Chocolate Toothpaste? Extract Of Tasty Treat Could Fight Tooth Decay
Chocolate Toothpaste? Extract Of Tasty Treat Could Fight Tooth Decay

Then lets not forget dark chocolates decent catechins (flavanol monomers) levels.

HOWEVER
These only hold true if its PURE chocolate. Meaning no added ingredients other then that which is truly needed in the product.

High quality 70%+ cocoa dark chocolate has a number of phytonutrients and isn't too bad in the fiber department. It's not a miracle food and I should point out that the listed benefits aren't an excuse to eat that snickers or nestle crunch bar.

I think this is one point that should be more stressed! The general population would use it as an excuse, kind of like, "Hey, at least Im out getting excersize, even if it is to Dairy Queen and back... and my Chocolate extreme blizzard is dairy! No Osteoporosis!"

I eat two bite size pieces of Hershey's dark chocolate with almonds a day. For a 110 calories, I get my chocolate cravings satisified and some benefit from the chocolate and almonds.

It's a minor indulgence.

-Charles

I'm not big on chocolate, (unless it's a girl thing), but I just tried the new Antioxidant chocolates from Hersheys and even though I don't really like dark chocolate, I am starting to aquire a taste for it. I wish I could find the milk chocolate version of it. The store I went to only had dark.