You can stop avoiding chocolate now: 5 surprising reasons why chocolate is actually good for you

Chocolate, everyone loves it. And nearly everyone feels guilty about loving it. It's that "guilty pleasure." You may be receiving loads of chocolate now, because of Valentine's Day. Avoiding it is near impossible, but you don't have to steer clear anymore. It's time to take a stand and help the world see chocolate for what it really is.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "Chocolate is actually really good for you. So tell all of those people spreading chocolate shame that science says they're wrong," explains Elite Daily.

Here are five scientific reasons why chocolate is actually good for you:

1. Chocolate for breakfast can deter unhealthy cravings later in the day. A study from Tel Aviv University found that eating chocolate early in the day can help reduce pesky sweets cravings later on. Don't just eat chocolate though, protein and crabs are also necessary for a good day.

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2. Dark chocolate helps your brain. Neuropsychologist, Diane Roberts Stoler highlights dark chocolate as helping to reduce inflammation after head injuries and improving memory.

Consuming dark chocolate also helps with mood and depression.

3. Dark chocolate is good for your heart. Phytochemical flavanol, found in dark chocolate, helps reduce the risk of heart disease. "If you eat a small amount of dark chocolate every day, it could help you avoid heart attacks and live longer," according to Elite Daily.


4. Chocolate will save your skin. According to German scientists, chocolate is very good for skin. The magical flavanol also helps protect you from UV rays.

"This doesn't mean you should rub melted chocolate on your body as a substitute for sunscreen, but eating could help prevent sunburn," stated Elite Daily.

5. Chocolate helps you live longer. It can help reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke and may even help in avoiding certain cancers, according to Jake Heller from the Daily Beast. Chocolate helps you live longer.

"Jeanne Louise Calment lived to be 122-years-old. Calment holds the record for the longest human life span in history, and she ate two pounds of chocolate every single week until she was 119-years-old," according to Elite Daily.

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While we just went over the ways chocolate is good for you, it is important to remember that you shouldn't overindulge. "Too much of anything can be unhealthy."

Dark chocolate is the better of chocolates, so try to stick with that; but no worries if you can't resist milk or white chocolate occasionally. Everyone has their own "guilty pleasures."

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