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Chocolate: the health benefits

 Feel guilty about eating too much chocolate this Easter.

This year, there's good reason not to feel too worried about devouring your favourite treat.

At last, there is scientific confirmation that turns chocolate from an enemy of the waistline to a virtue for healthy living.

Here, we present the facts to prove that chocolate really is good for you!

• It's better than 'being in love'
  

  For years, academics have tried to discover exactly what makes chocolate so irresistible. But now scientists think they have the simple answer.

  Chocolate is linked to feelings of wellbeing because it simply tastes so good. They claim munching a bar induces sensations that could be even more pleasurable than listening to your favourite music, winning the lottery or falling in love.

• Cambridge neuroscientist Adrian Owen said the effects of eating chocolate are psychological. 'The unique combination of aroma, texture and taste makes eating chocolate a pleasurable experience that stimulates the emotional 'feel-good' centres of the brain. In short, chocolate tastes good, so we feel good.'

• It's good for the heart
  

  They say a little of what you fancy does you good. And chocolate lovers can now take this advice to heart.

  Researchers at America's University of California found that flavan-3-ols - substances found in cocoa - are linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

  'Cocoa contains the same nutrients found in other plant foods called antioxidants. Antioxidants are natural compounds that help ward off diseases such as heart disease,' said dietician Althea Zanecosky.

• It treats a tickly cough
  

  Did you know that eating chocolate could be more effective than sucking a lozenge? According to experts, a chemical found in chocolate is better at suppressing a throaty tickle than cough medicines.

  A study looked at an ingredient in chocolate called theobromine to see if it could prevent coughing. Patients were given theobromine followed by capsaicin, which is known to stimulate the coughing reflex.

  Researchers found theobromine was more effective in treatment coughs than codeine, which is often used in cough medicines.

  Although more research is needed into cough treatments, further studies looking at the effectiveness of theobromine are already underway.

• It fights cancer
  

  Biochemists at London's King's College say you would need to consume 28 glasses of white wine, six apples, 17 glasses of orange juice or two glasses of red wine to get the same levels of antioxidants provided by a 50g of dark chocolate.

  Chocolate contains high levels of polyphenols - compounds found in plant-based foods which act as antioxidants - compounds which help protect against serious diseases such as cancer.

  Some experts believe that chocolate contains higher concentrations of polyphenols than other plant foods and beverages.

• It protects against strokes and deep vein thrombosis
  

  A study, conducted by America's University of California, suggested that chocolate appears to help prevent blood clotting, something that could be helpful to patients who are prone to strokes or deep vein thrombosis.

  Carl Keen, author of the study, fed volunteers either chunks of bread or 25g pieces of dark chocolate and then took blood samples two and six hours later.

  Remarkably, those who had eaten chocolate had a marked decrease in platelet activity, which meant their blood was less likely to thicken and clot, compared with those who had eaten the bread.

  Researchers say the effect of chocolate was similar to that of aspirin, known to be a blood-thinning agent, and was the result of the unique concentration of potent antioxidant chemicals, called flavanoids, in dark chocolate.

• It prevents high blood pressure
  

  A recent study found that substances contained in chocolate can help prevent high blood pressure. Scientists studied a group of indigenous people called Kuna Amerinds living in Central America.

  They discovered that the Kuna who remained on the islands had lower blood pressure compared to those who migrated to urban areas. The reason? Island dwellers drank, on average, five cups of cocoa every day and included cocoa in many of their recipes.

  It was found that cocoa is particularly rich in flavanol, a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants track down and destroy harmful chemicals in the body that cause ageing and potentially fatal diseases.