It’s delicious, it appeals to the senses, it comforts us and and it’s beneficial, all giving mankind more than enough reasons to continue its incessant centuries-old love affair with chocolate.
As well as tasting so incredible, oh, that rich, creamy flavour, and melting so smoothly in our mouths, chocolate has some amazing benefits. Early Europeans believed the sensual food could serve as a love potion and medicine. These days we’ve learned the right kind of chocolate, the type that has around 70 percent cocoa, can lift our mood, keep us feeling alert, contains heart-healthy flavonols and can ease chronic, debilitating pain. Plus, it’s great for your skin and hair and here’s how:
Chocolate has important moisturising properties: Chock-full of fatty acids like oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid, chocolate is really nourishing and helps leave your complexion looking hydrated, which equals younger, and feeling softer.
Cacao can control skin damage: Chocolate is one of the best edible sources of antioxidants you can buy. Antioxidants prevent or delay damage to the body's cells and tissues caused by free radicals. Subsequently, this also postpones the appearance of wrinkles.
Chocolate is vitamin-rich: As well as being rich in antioxidants/flavonoids, which help to filter UV rays, chocolate is a good source of beneficial vitamins, including B1, C, D, E and A. The latter is essential for healthy skin and hair.
Cacao is full of nutrients and minerals: Chocolate contains many important nutrients and minerals that do wonders for your hair, such as potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, copper and magnesium.
Chocolate generates healthy and glowing skin: Cacao aids by increasing and protecting the blood flow to the skin, keeping it healthy and luminous.
Cacao sparks cellular healing: The omega 6 fatty acids found in chocolate aid in cellular healing. Additionally, wounds and scars are cured quickly.
Chocolate calms skin irritation: A natural anti-inflammatory and very gentle on your skin, chocolate can soothe irritation. What’s more it’s perfect for sensitive skin.
Cacao promotes healthy-looking hair: The fatty acids mentioned before (oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid) also help your hair feel softer and look super glossy. Plus, they make your locks easier to manage.
Chocolate boosts hair growth: If you’re gunning for longer hair, you’ll be happy to know chocolate increases blood circulation in your scalp, encouraging healthy and lustrous hair to grow.
Take a Chocolate bath
As discussed before, chocolate works as a deep moisturiser for dry skin, something a lot of us suffer from. While biting into a bar of dark chocolate is advantageous, a soak in a tub with your favourite ingredient can really work miracles.
You will only need one cup of bubble bath soap, 1/2 cup of milk and 60 grams (about 1/2 cup) of crushed dark chocolate. To prepare for the bath, bring milk to a boil, then stir in chocolate bits until melted. Let the milk cool and add the mixture into one cup of bubble bath liquid. Use 1/2 cup of the mixture for each bath. This amount can last for about four days. Now all we need to do is look up some chocolate facials and hair masks.
3 Chocolate Facts:
- In 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus returned from America with a box, which he presented to Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. While the box was filled with treasures, it’s that brown gem, the cocoa bean, that’s still winning hearts and being used for special celebrations.
- The ancient Aztecs considered chocolate a food fit for the gods.
- In a study, psychologist David Lewis found letting chocolate dissolve slowly in your mouth delivers the same increase in brain activity and heart rate as a passionate kiss. Even more impressive is the fact the effects of the chocolate last four times longer!
