Fall is officially here, which means Halloween is right around the corner too. As the trick-or-treaters dream up their favorite costumes, households everywhere will be stocking up on candy. Children’s candy bags will be filled with all sorts of sweets, a good majority of which will be chocolate. Older siblings and parents alike will be happy to help the little ones out in scarfing those sweet treats. And now they don’t have to feel guilty about it either, thanks to recent research identifying the health benefits of chocolate.
National Chocolate Day
What else is right around the corner? National Chocolate day just happens to fall on the 28th of October. So you can break into that huge bag of mini chocolate bars you picked up for passing out on Halloween, and celebrate National Chocolate Day knowing you’ll be promoting your own good health.
Health Benefits Of Chocolate
So what are the benefits of chocolate? In particular, chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa carries valuable antioxidants that help boost the immune system. It is also high in zinc, a mineral the body benefits from. It also promotes increased blood flow and reduced blood pressure, which is actually great for your hearing health as well as your overall general health.
Hearing loss can come about as a result of decreased blood circulation to the inner ear, which in turn lowers your auditory system’s ability to hear effectively. This can result in a sensorineural hearing loss. Additionally, a healthy immune system because of a healthy, balanced diet that includes moderate portions of dark chocolate will assist in staving off ear infections or increasing the body’s ability to fight existing ear infections so that hearing loss does not come about.
It’s All In Moderation
The key is to eat chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa at least five times a week, but also not to an excessive degree. If you eat too much of it, you’ll be consuming too much of the not so healthy ingredients that come with chocolate, like sugar and fats. Milk chocolate is not as effective because it does not have a high cocoa percentage and it is high in sugar. Other chocolate candy can be heavy with fat.
While eating more chocolate is not the answer to those who already have experienced hearing loss, it can be a great component of an existing healthy diet that is rich in vitamins in minerals important for maintaining a highly functioning immune system and healthy cardiovascular system.
So when the 28th rolls around, make sure you’ve got a good supply of dark chocolate handy, some friends and family on hand, and celebrate your hearing health together. But don’t eat it all, you’ll need plenty of that good stuff to pass out on Halloween too. Or, if you have your own kids trick or treating, make sure you pick out all the good dark chocolate out of their bags first before the annihilate all that well earned Halloween candy.
