Chocolates will make you fat

Have you heard this one?

*Myth*: Chocolate causes weight gain.

*Fact*: Any food can be part of a healthy diet if consumed in moderation.

An average chocolate bar contains 220 calories. This means that it is low enough to form a part of a weight control diet when mixed with other foods to make up the required calorie intake for each meal.

The problem usually occurs when you eat a lot of chocolates. Snacking in between meals, eating chocolate deserts on top of a full meal and other such excessive eating habits can cause severe weight gain.

Chocolate’s bad reputation is slowly changing and research now shows that chocolate can be a part of an overall healthy lifestyle, when consumed in moderation. If you keep your portions small and select dark chocolate whenever possible, the occasional treat can be a guilt-free part of your diet.

Cardio Health: Consuming Dark Chocolate

Well, here’s something for the chocolate lovers out there to rejoice. According to a study conducted by the University of California in San Francisco, dark chocolates are found to be good for the heart.

How I wish I was one of the volunteers for that experiment! Anyway, here are the findings:
1. The flavoniods in the dark chocolates keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, which reduces the risk of blood clots and slows down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.
2. Eating dark chocolates reduces the blood pressure as well.
3. Dark chocolate lowers the amount of C-reactive protein in the blood. And people with low C-reactive protein in their blood have a lower level of chronic inflammation which reduces the risk of contracting heart diseases.

According to the study, people who eat dark chocolate regularly in small servings, have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein.

It is no doubt that a little dark chocolate is good for our heart. However, excessive consumption of anything has never been advisable. Eat in moderation!