Crack open the Dairy Milk
Is this the excuse you need to eat more chocolate?
Our team of bristol chiropractic and spinal therapy is wishing everyone a happy VALENTINE’S DAY!thought to be the most romantic day of the year
Our Bristol chiropractic and spinal therapy clinic knowit’s a day that’s become synonymous with two things:
- Flowers
- Chocolates
And while most bouquets aren’t bad for your health… unless you’re a serious hay fever sufferer.
Do you know all the health benefits that eating chocolate can provide?
Now, before our team of chiropractic bristol and spinal therapists go any further it’s worth us mentioning that this doesn’t apply to all chocolate.
So if you were hoping I was going to recommend sitting on the sofa and devouring an entire slab of Dairy
Milk every night, you’re out of luck. Sorry! But dark chocolate has been shown to provide an array of real health benefits (and I think it tastes better than the overly sweet version anyway!).
Here are 4 reasons to ask for (or buy yourself) some dark chocolate this Valentine’s Day:
#1. Mineral and Antioxidant packed
High-quality dark chocolate with over 70% cocoa content is packed with fibre (great for digestion), iron, magnesium, copper, and more important minerals. You’d need to eat a LOT of it to hit your daily recommended intakes of these vital minerals – too much for it to be healthy – but introducing some dark chocolate in your diet can help you stay on top of your nutrition.It’s also packed with antioxidants, with one study finding that it contained more of them than any other fruits tested – including acai berries and blueberries!
#2. May improve blood pressure and heart disease risk
Some good news and some bad news…There’s fairly extensive research showing that eating dark chocolate 3 times per week
can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 9%. The bad news? Eating it more frequently than this added no additional benefit.This is because the flavonoids in dark chocolate can cause the arteries to produce Nitric Oxide, which sends signals to arteries to relax, and lowers blood pressure. The compounds in high cocoa content bars also cause less cholesterol to lodge in the arteries, reducing the risk of heart disease.
#3. May help prevent sun damage
I’m not suggesting you ditch the sun cream next time you go on holiday, but studies have shown that consuming high-qu
ality dark chocolate for 12 weeks can improve blood flow to the skin and provide better protection from the sun. It might only be a small effect, but it’s a good excuse if you ask me!
#4. Improves brain function
Lots of people don’t know that chocolate contains caffeine – which is why pregnant women may often need to be mindful of how much they’re consuming. But in addition to this ‘pick me up’ effect, the flavonoids in dark chocolate have also been shown to increase blood flow to the brain and improve learning and memory. Plus it can cause our bodies to release oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone, and improve our mood.
What does this mean for you?
Be warned our Bristol chiropractic and spinal therapy team advises, that this doesn’t mean we can all stuff our faces with as much chocolate as we like, and suddenly become superhuman. But it goes to show that adding a bit of dark chocolate into your diet, in moderation, can help us be the healthiest versions of ourselves.
That’s just one part of the puzzle, of course. And when you’re ready, our team would love to discuss how we can help you become happier, healthier, and pain-free, with the help of regular adjustments. Why not contact us today to find out more? Simply give us a call at 0117 9252886, or click here and book an appointment with our team
Enjoy your chocolate!