Life is Sweeter with Chocolate

Swallowing that chocolate you just ate
May have been your fatal mistake!
Your smooth complexion will get lumps and spots,
Your lips will go brown and your teeth will all rot.
Your breath will go smelly - it may make you sick,
Not to mention your waistline expanding a bit!
After eating that chocolate with its lack of nutrition,
You will need to visit your local beautician.
But no matter how ugly you may turn out to be
You will always be sweet and beautiful to me.

-Kevin Missen-

Why do we crave for chocolate? There are times when nothing else tastes as good as chocolate. We call chocolates as the food of Gods because of its luscious taste. As we all know, chocolate is one of the most popular flavors in the world. It is regularly eaten for pleasure. Chocolates as a present or treat to someone special has become traditional on certain holidays and occasions such as; Birthdays, Anniversaries, Reunions, Thanks Giving, Easters, Christmas, New Years, and Valentines.

I'm pretty sure that you often observe that every after eating chocolate, you got this feeling of unease.. The "lift" up... and it makes you happy. Why so? Because chocolate counteracts depression due to the following chemical use:

Caffeine and Theobromine--> Most well-known chemical ingredients. The combination of these two chemicals may provide the "lift" that chocolate eaters experience.

Phenylethylamine --> It increases the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in parts of the brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert.

On the other hand, we must be extra careful in eating large quantities of chocolates. We may gain weight that may also lead to obesity. The high amount of calories is caused by factory-added substances such as fat and sugar. This high amounts of added fat and sugar makes the chocolate so addictive. As such, eating black chocolate, or chocolate products with sweeteners, is considered less addictive and more healthy than milk chocolate, white chocolate, or any other high-calorie chocolate product.

BENEFICIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHOCOLATE

There are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolates. Cocoa or dark chocolate benefits our circulatory system. Chocolate is also a cough preventor and brain stimulant.

NON-BENEFICIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF CHOCOLATE

There is a popular belief that chocolates can cause acne and tooth decay. But some of the nutritionist protest this belief. They concluded that eating chocolates neither causes nor aggravates acne. It does not produce any significant changes in the acne conditions. They stated that acne is not primarily linked to diet. On the other hand, chocolate also has not been proven to cause cavities or tooth decay. In fact, there are indications that the cocoa butter in the chocolate coats the teeth and may help protect them by preventing plaque from forming. The sugar in chocolate contributes to cavities.

CHOCOLATE AS A TOXIC TO ANIMALS

Warning.. Do not give any kind of chocolates to your pets. Chocolate is toxic to many animals because of its insufficient capacity to metabolize theobromine. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for more that 20 hours and the animals may experience internal bleeding that may possibly lead to death.

CHOCOLATE AS A STIMULANT

Chocolate is a mild stimulant to humans due to the presence of theobromine. It contribute to a temporary sense of well-being.