The Health Benefits of Chocolate You Might Not Know About 

Theobroma Cacao, the Latin name for chocolate, means "Food of the Gods" for a reason. Dark chocolate has a long history of use as a healing plant, a mood enhancer, and even an aphrodisiac. So if you've got a thing for chocolate (and we don't mean the junk chocolate in candy bars and sweet desserts), you're in luck: You can use high quality chocolate to upgrade your performance and your favorite recipes.

Chocolate Does Good Stuff You Didn't Know About
You've probably read that chocolate affects your brain by causing the release of the "happiness neurotransmitters" serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. Like coffee, chocolate is also a potent source of polyphenol antioxidants.
But experienced chocolate hackers also know chocolate is a useful tool for improving performance in lesser-known ways. Cacao exerts a systemic effect on the body, with benefits ranging from improved healthy blood flow and cognition to beneficial changes in gut bacteria! Here are some of the most important benefits of chocolate (besides taste). 

1. High pressure mood improver
Eating chocolate can improve your mood and, according to this study, it can give you a mood boost even in stressful circumstances. Participants in this study that had a cocoa flavanol drink before a sustained attention test had overall better cognitive performance and reported less "mental fatigue" than the control group. 

2. Chocolate makes you eat less
One of my favorite effects of chocolate consumption is reduced appetite. One study showed that eating dark chocolate two hours before a meal led to a 17 percent lower calorie intake at the following meal, compared to the milk chocolate group. (I'd imagine that it's because the casein in milk binds to the polyphenols in chocolate, making them unavailable to your body.) 

3. Maintenance of a healthy cardiovascular system
Regular chocolate consumption is also associated with improved markers for cardiovascular health. Notably, the polyphenols in cacao increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and decreased oxidized LDL cholesterol.
One study even found the particular cacao flavanol epicatechin to be responsible for the rise in nitric oxide, which is essential for vascular health. Bioavailability of nitric oxide is an essential determinate of vascular health as it regulates dilation tone, signals cell growth and inflammatory response, and protects blood vessels from clotting.
Also important, vascular function moderates insulin-regulated glucose uptake. So it's no surprise that dark chocolate consumption also improves healthy levels of insulin sensitivity. 

4. Chocolate helps make your skin glow... and may help reduce sunburn
Another cool thing chocolate does is help you maintain healthy skin by regulating healthy blood flow. In one study, two groups of women consumed either a high flavanol or low flavanol cocoa powder for a period of 12 weeks. While the low flavanol group showed no change in markers of skin health, subjects in the high flavanol group had on average 25 percent reduction in UV-induced erythema (sunburn) after exposure to a solar simulator.
Additionally, the high flavanol group recorded increased skin density and thickness, as well as better hydrated-skin. 

5. Chocolate is a prebiotic!
While many studies assume that it is the cacao polyphenols acting directly to modulate biomarkers, it is most likely the case that at least some of the effect is indirect, and comes from the interaction with our gut microbiome. Research suggests that cocoa flavanols with a low molecular weight, such as epicatechin and catechin, can be absorbed directly into blood circulation (unless you mix them with milk). This is not the case for the larger polyphenols. In this case, microflora in the colon work to break down high molecular weight polyphenols, so that the smaller secondary metabolites may circulate throughout the body.
If gut bacteria are feeding on the larger cocoa polyphenols, this will alter the composition of the intestinal microbiome. In fact, one study discovered a beneficial prebiotic effect of high flavanol chocolate consumption. Participants saw a significant increase in bifidobacterial and lactobacilli populations, as well as significantly decreased clostridia levels. 

6. Cellular rejuvenation (anti-aging)
Last, but certainly not least, cacao can enhance the creation of new mitochondria! Chocolate contains the flavanol epicatechin, which is responsible for mitogenesis. In one study, epicatechin given to senile mice shifted numerous biomarkers towards those of young mice. In another mouse study, treatment with epicatechin improved exercise performance by about 50 percent and enhanced muscle fatigue resistance by about 30 percent. 

Theobromine 101: The Magical Molecule In Chocolate
Dark chocolate and coffee are both rich sources of polyphenol antioxidants. Chocolate also contains theobromine, a molecule that acts like caffeine. Theobromine is the primary alkaloid in cocoa and gives your mind and body a boost in several different ways. Here's some cool things about theobromine and chocolate that you may not have already known:
• Although theobromine is present in other plants, it is highly concentrated in dark chocolate, with 237-519 mg per 50g. Its effects are similar to caffeine's.
• Theobromine has an interesting molecular structure it promotes energy in the body but it doesn't exert its effects on the central nervous system. This is why it gives you a more "gentle," feel-good type of energy. It also takes longer to clear from the body, allowing for a longer effect!
• Chocolate gives you immediate cognitive effects (mostly from caffeine and theobromine). Studies show that cocoa powder and caffeine have the same positive effects on cognitive functions and mood.
• Theobromine may also have a significant effect on mood. One study showed that subjects were able to see improvements in their moods while taking theobromine, even at low doses. 

Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-asprey/chocolate-health-benefits_b_8456230.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living
Image Source: http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/how-choco-works-1.jpg

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Enhancer (n.) ~ improve or augment, especially in effectiveness, value, or attractiveness
2. Alter (v.) ~ change or cause to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way
3. Mood (n.) ~ a temporary state of mind or feeling
4. Appetite (n.) ~ a natural desire to satisfy a bodily need, especially for food
5. Bind (v.) ~ cohere or cause to cohere in a single mass

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Do you like chocolate? Why or Why not?
2. Most people believe that chocolate is not good for the health. What is your opinion in this matter?
3. According to the article, what are the health benefits of eating chocolate? Discuss each one.