You must read this before eating chocolates!

           Health Chocolate in its original form is beneficial for health, but it tastes bitter .Premium grade dark chocolate contains only cocoa butter, a fat that naturally occurs in cocoa beans, which is made up of stearic acid (34%), oleic acid (34%), palmitic acid (25%), and the rest of other fatty acids, whereby the combined effect of all the fats found in cocoa butter is quite neutral in regard to an individual's lipid (heart disease risk) profile. However, during preparation  process, chocolate is treated with different things to provide a different taste. Benefits of consuming Cocoa Products have increasingly made the news, following the discovery that they are a rich source of catechins, which are polyphenols of the flavanol group, and which are believed to protect against heart disease, cancer, and various other medical conditions.

 Chocolate manufacturers have been taking advantage of these findings by not onlytrying to make chocolate lovers feel less guilty about their addiction, but also by trying to target more health-conscious consumers with regular doses of "research studies" praising the supposed benefits of consuming chocolate, among them that:
  •  consuming chocolate helps to reduce migraine headaches,

  •  consuming chocolate reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer.

  •   chocolate consumption does not give someone acne or other skin eruptions,

  •  eating chocolate boosts appetite, but does not cause weight gain,

  •  eating moderate amounts of chocolate makes one live almost a year longer,

  •  eating chocolate releases endorphins in the brain, which act as pain-relievers,

 •  the sugar in chocolate may reduce stress, and have  pain relieving effect,

 What is the reality?

 If people were to consume pure cocoa, they might indeed be able to enjoy a few health benefits, including  a positive effect on blood pressure and glucose metabolism, however the majority of people eat processed  chocolate with all the other less desirable ingredients (i.e. added sugar, corn syrup,  fats / cream,hydrogenated oils, etc.), and where the actual cocoa content may be less than 20%, so unless premium dark  chocolate is consumed, and one does not suffer from copper overload, all bets regarding chocolate being a healthy food are off.
With claims made of sugar having a "pain-relieving" effect (babies fed a sucrose solution felt less pain from needles), it is doubtful that we will see chocolate bars replacing conventional analgesics any time soon, nor  are these same "researchers" making these sugar-promoting claims likely going to reach for a chocolate bar next time they suffer from a throbbing toothache, a pounding headache, or a kidney stone attack.While cocoa and sugar do not "cause" acne, the sugar present in chocolate will most certainly make acne,
or any other acne-like skin eruptions worse, as anyone suffering from these skin conditions can attest to.
Placebo-controlled trials showed that some of the chemicals in chocolate (phenylethylamine, theobromine,or caffeine), can indeed trigger migraines in some of those prone to suffer from migraine headaches. Chocolate contains theobromine and a small amount of caffeine, both being stimulants and members of the methylxanthine family.  Although it increases alertness, theobromine doesn't have the same jittery effect on the heart like caffeine.  However, theobromine can be toxic or even lethal to domestic animals such as dogs, cats, parrots and horses as a result of affecting their kidneys, heart, and central nervous system.
 Claiming that "eating moderate amounts of chocolate increases one's life span" is a most interesting example of how some "researchers" will twist and manipulate statistics to prove anything!
From a nutritional perspective - the average milk chocolate product is no less a junk food than ice cream or donuts, and it is equally unhealthy and fattening when large amounts are consumed on a regular basis.
   When milk chocolate, or lower grade chocolate is consumed, part of the total fat content of chocolate comes from milk fat  which do create a risk factor with cardiovasvular disease. Despite the good news on cocoa not raising LDL cholesterol, even dark chocolate is a very calorie-dense food, so while the fat content may not invite cardiovascular disease from an arterial clogging perspective, its regular consumption will add a lot of extra calories to someone's daily total, and as a result still affect those who have to watch their caloric intake. Sugar is a well-known cause, contributing, or aggravating factor with a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, inflammatory conditions, immune system disorders, impaired phagocytosis, mood disorders,
insulin and blood sugar disorders, leukemia, dental caries, yeast infections, depletion of essential nutrients,osteoporosis, obesity, and others.
Cocoa products also contains which have an anti-depressant and amphetamine-like effect; and they contain compounds that stimulate the brain to release an opiate-like substance called anandamide.  When drugs are used to block the brain's opiate receptors, the desire for chocolate (and other sweet and fatty foods) disappears -- confirming the addictive nature of these types of foods.



 But despite cocoa being such an opiate and endorphin-releasing pharmacological powerhouse, who would have guessed that when chocoholics were given cocoa in capsules - without the added fat and sugar, and without the feel of chocolate melting in their mouths - it had no satisfying effect at all! However, while eating the actual chocolate bar satisfied the cravings for it, studies showed that there was no improvement with mood, relaxation, feeling content, depression, or guilt, after eating chocolate.
Over consumption can cause bone  loss, and it can trigger or worsen blood sugar-related, and/or inflammatory conditions that may include chronic tonsil infections, rheumatoid-types of arthritis, or other problems of the immune system in pron individuals.
Another concern - particularly for young children - are the high Lead concentrations in manufactured cocoa and chocolate products, which are one of the highest reported for all food items
Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. However, chocolate with a high sugar content will negate this benefit. Dark chocolate contains significantly higher amounts of cacao and lower amounts of sugar than white chocolate, making it more healthful.
* The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.
* Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
* The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which can raise good cholesterol.
* Men who eat chocolate regularly live on average one year longer than those who don’t.
* The flavanoids in chocolate help keep blood vessels elastic.
* Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.
* The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

  Like any food, if enjoyed in moderation,chocolate has several notable health benefits.  But there’s a dark side to chocolate that you ought to keep in mind Dark, bitter chocolate has the highest catechin content, but at the same time has also the highest copper level.  Light or milk chocolate has the lowest copper level, but also the lowest catechin content.