Chocolate & Beauty: How Are They Connected?

When we think of our health, we tend to think our options are limited to leafy salads, fruits and vegetables. Where is the fun in that? You’ll hopefully be as excited as I am to know that recent research has shown that chocolate can have an amazing result on your overall health. However, make sure you aware that this is for certain types of chocolates, and kept in moderation.

Now, it would be nice if this applied to ALL types of chocolate, but when seeking the best results, dark chocolate, made with at least 70% cocoa, delivers the best beauty results. You won’t be able to eat a Reese’s cup or Snickers bar for this beauty trick, but dark chocolate is better than no chocolate in your diet! If you don’t like it, just try it again! When I was a kid, I hated dark chocolate, but as I matured, so did my palate, and now I love the stuff! Typically, you will want to consume 2-3 ounces of dark chocolate each week (this definitely is not a problem for me).

So what is it within dark chocolate that offers health benefits? Well, Cocoa contains a substance called flavonoids. Flavonoids, sometimes known as Vitamin P, help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. However, these nutritional gems can cause a bitter taste, the darker the chocolate, the more bitter taste you will have. Cocoa beans can offer a variety of tastes depending on where they are from, so make sure to keep trying until you find one or many you like!

When shopping for the appropriate dark chocolate, remember to read all of the labels. Check the ingredients cocoa, milk and/or sugar. Chocolate bars with less than 70% cocoa content will not provide the health benefits desired. Too much milk and sugar added will reverse the effect you are looking for with the health benefits of dark chocolate.

Bringing it back to skincare, what about the idea that chocolate causes breakouts? Studies show that dark chocolate actually reduces stress hormones. In return, there are fewer wrinkles on the surface due to the decrease in collagen breakdown. In addition, dark chocolate works to relax blood vessels overall and as a result, blood pressure decreases. So, load up on the dark chocolate and let the deliciousness begin!