4 Ways Chocolate Can Boost Your Brain
Your Brain on Dark Chocolate
Lovers and chocoholics everywhere are overjoyed to know that some chocolate may actually be (gulp) very good for you and your brain. Turns out that chocolate, in its natural form, isn’t bad for you. It’s all that fake processing, sugar and scary chemicals that go into commercial chocolates that make them so unhealthy.
Instead, think: silky, creamy, natural dark chocolate. Melt in your mouth chocolate.
That’s right. Dark chocolate contains health-promoting properties that support a positive mood, the ability to think clearly, and your healthy cardiovascular system.
Not All Chocolate is Created Equal
Most chocolate bars are full of unhealthy ingredients like sugar, dairy and synthetic flavors — virtually canceling out chocolate’s powerful health benefits.
Chocolate is made from tree seeds of the tropical Theobroma cacao plant. The earliest use of chocolate dates back to ancient civilizations. For centuries, deep dark delicious chocolate has been honored for its healing and medicinal qualities.
Aztecs and ancient Mayans even drank theirs in a brew made from natural cacao beans; they believed it provided strength and energy.
When the Europeans first brought cacao home from the Americas, they used it as an all-purpose tonic to treat dozens of health conditions like insomnia. Europeans actually once referred to chocolate as “the food of the gods.”
4 Ways Chocolate Boosts Brain and Body
- High in flavonoids (substances shown to increase blood flow)
- Loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants
- Full of fiber (to keep you feeling full)
- Rich in minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc
Additionally, chocolate contains phenylethylamine or PEA, which is a psycho-active compound. It acts as a stimulant that makes you feel really good when you eat it. Chocolate also increases serotonin (the “don’t worry, be happy” neurotransmitter) in your brain.
Happy Valentine’s Day (and Choose Your Chocolate Wisely)
The answer is yes, fine chocolate can actually be good for you. We knew it all along.
So, while chocolate is healthy for you, the added sugar and dairy in it are not. That’s why Dr. Daniel G. Amen has created BrainMD Health’s very own chocolate bars – Brain In Love and Brain On Joy. These delicious chocolates are free of sugar, dairy, gluten and GMOs.
But they are rich in decadence, and made with love.
On Valentine’s Day, don’t deprive yourself. Treat yourself and loved ones to delicious, satisfying chocolate bars that are good for your soul, and healthy for your brain and body.
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$69.95 ??? really?? ouch!! Can we buy 4 or 5 bars and not 24 ?
I suppose the price will help some keep to a moderate portion.
Or give me a full recipe that I could make it at home
How about this:
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/chocolate-making
I just sat down with my cup of cherries and .3 oz of chocolate nibs.
I make my own chocolate drink: buy raw cacao powder and mix it with hot water, coconut milk from a can, and some stevia (maybe a bit of coffee).
I have also found a chocolate bar a sprouts that has no sugar I only have 1/5th of it with almonds and dried cherries.
What dark chocolates do you recommend?