With the Easter weekend just around the corner chocolate lovers all over will be delighted to know that chocolate isn’t actually that bad for you!
New research shows that regularly consuming as little as a square of chocolate a day helps to reduce your blood pressure and thus your chance of succumbing to cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is Britain’s biggest killer.
It turns out that chocolate, especially dark chocolate is actually good for your skin. The type of antioxidants called flavonoids found in dark chocolate offer some protection from UV damage from the sun. And no, that does not mean you can skip the sunscreen! Also, that boost of blood flow to the brain created by cocoa's flavanols seems to make people feel more awake and alert, and, in a small British study, perform better on counting tasks.
This is a dream come true for chocolate lovers and just in time for Easter too but of course these findings should not lead to chocolate gluttony. Don’t forget chocolate does contain a few calories and a half! However a small intake of chocolate and a healthy balanced diet will do us all a bit of good. So this Easter, why not treat yourself to an Easter egg or two, I know Parcel Pete will be on his parcel delivery routes.