It’s the candy of love, what you reach for when you lose love and we love to love it. Chocolate! Those that love chocolate now have more reasons to savor their favorite snack. Some medical experts are now calling dark chocolate Healthy Chocolate a “super-food,” and for good reason. A daily chocolate can help you enjoy a healthier life. That is certainly positive news for those craving the taste of chocolate.

In men, consumption of dark chocolate with a sensible diet plan may improve cardio system function. Cacao contains powerful antioxidants – and that is the key ingredient in dark chocolate. These ingredients that fight free-radicals can also lower heart attack risk as well as reduce blood pressure. Two, daily one oz. servings of dark chocoate can reduce risk of heart attack according to some studies. Tyramine and Phenylethylamine are bioactive compounds found in chocolate that can improve brain function and provide that instant engergy charge. In fact, Men’s Health Magazine called dark chocolate an “instant energy bullet” in an article called “What to Eat When you Work Out.”

Many women crave chocolate when they have a hormonal change or feel stressed out. Actual scientific reasons for that may already be known. Study subjects with elevated anxiety levels were shown in a recent study to enjoy a reduced level of stress hormone after consuming 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate each day for a two week period.

Chocolate also stimulates endorphin production and contains serotonin, so you just feel better after eating it. Stimulants in dark chocolate help keep one alert and attentive. For the most ‘bliss’ per bite, select chocolate containing at least 75% cacao. Of course no one suggests that you should get out and feast on brownies and triple layer cake. Adding to the waist measurement and negatively impacting the risk of diabetes may be the results.. It is the dark chocolate that one can eat without guilt – even as a daily indulgence. Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant that can not only help reduce blood pressure, it can also reduce the risk of stroke.

Milk or white chocolate requires a high degree of processing which removes many of chocolate’s health benefits. Dark chocolate though, requires less processing and leaves these benefit producing substances in place. The key healthy ingredient found in dark chocolate is the high content of cacao and antioxidants called flavonoids, believed to improve the flexibility of blood vessels. This may cause blood vessels to become more resistant to the build up of plaque. These flavenoids or antioxidants are similar to those in berries, red wine and green teas.

One should enjoy chocolate in moderation because – according to medical professionals – some varieties contain fat and calories that may temper some of dark chocolate’s key benefits. By keeping your chocolate intake in balance, and perhaps cutting back on other high-calorie foods, you can indulge every day and stay healthy at the same time. Not a bad compromise, if you consider the cancer and disease fighting properties in a yummy piece of chocolate, after that apple. Additionally, chocolate lovers can see blood pressure improvement as well as enjoy the benefits of antioxitants that help fight disease.

And with the sinfully decadent taste of dark chocolate, who can resist that prescription?