August 14, 2020 –
1. Chocolate increases the production of endorphins, the body’s natural opiates. As a result, it decreases pain and lifts your mood.
It’s also the only known food source of anandamide, a natural cannabinoid that attaches to the body’s cannabis receptors, just like marijuana. This is another source of chocolate’s pain-relieving effects.
Chocolate also boosts the release of the body’s natural amphetamines, phenylethylamine, which increases energy. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that acts as an antidepressant, is also boosted by eating chocolate. This may be why so many people reach for chocolate when they need a mood boost.
2. It’s good for your heart. The heart benefits of chocolate are considerable. It helps restore the flexibility of the arteries, as well as preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels.
Eating chocolate has also been shown to reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol and raise levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL). As a result, it reduces atherosclerosis, a disease of plaque buildup inside arteries.
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