Rejoice! New research
shows our favorite sinful indulgence is actually
supplying a vital element to our bodies - and can even help us
lose weight.
Most people love chocolate.
Last year the U.K. spent £3 billion on half a million tons
of chocolate!
Now, it turns out, there
are vital ingredients in this ultimate comfort food
that women's bodies actually need. In fact, quality chocolate
(when it has a
high concentration of cocoa) is increasingly being recognized
as an
excellent source of minerals that are hard to find elsewhere.
Chocolate
contains essential nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium,
as well as
vitamins A. B1, C, D, and E.
What's more important,
however, is that the cocoa bean
is the richest source of magnesium in nature. Magnesium
deficiency is linked with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes
and joint
problems. Fascinatingly, it turns out the dreaded pre-menstrual
syndrome has
also been linked with a lack of magnesium; adding magnesium to
the diet has
been shown to increase pre-menstrual progesterone levels. It's
the
progesterone dip which is responsible for the mood swings so familiar
to
women and their partners.
Where we go wrong, however,
is in choosing sweet snacks that are high in
sugar, when, to truly satisfy the craving, we ought to be looking
for
quality, high-cocoa chocolate, containing at least 60% cocoa.
By eating
chocolate with as much chocolate crammed into the recipe as is
palatable, we
satisfy our craving without consuming too much sugar.
One thing is certain,
chocolate is a sensory oasis. With feminine intuition,
women have always known this. Now, at last, it seems that science
is
beginning to catch up.
Men will be pleased to
note that women do not have a monopoly as far as the
benefits of chocolate are concerned. The fat in chocolate does
not fur the
arteries in the same way other types of fat can, therefore chocolate
can be
considered cholesterol free. So you see, chocolate is good for
men too!
