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How To Enhance Your Daily Health With Chocolate

The month of January is filled with New Year’s resolutions. Many of those include losing weight, improving our health and generally feeling better. That’s why it is the perfect time to read-up on scientific research that proves chocolate does, in fact, offer many health benefits, especially when it comes to fighting the flu. 

Yes, you read that right. 

Image: CocoaRunners

Winter is the season for hot drinking chocolate. One study in Japan found that drinking a cup of hot chocolate can help prevent the flu (among other illnesses). 

So, how exactly does chocolate fight the flu? Researchers concluded that drinking cocoa works in three different ways:

  1. It inhibits the virus from absorbing into cells and inhibits infection.
  2. Cocoa activates natural immunity. 
  3. Cocoa has an anti-inflammatory effect. 

Chocolate helps boost the immune system, but also offers other pretty impressive health benefits, including relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, increasing heart health, burning belly fat, and lowering diabetes risk. 


Image: Dandelion Chocolate, located in Japan and in the United States in California

Basically, we’re telling you that you should not hesitate when the craving hits for that delicious, hot cup of drinking chocolate. 

You’re welcome.

In another study that was recently published, researchers in Spain and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston shared that the consumption of chocolate in the morning or evening leads to a number of changes in the body that can impact burning fat and reducing glucose levels. Now, you don’t have to feel guilty about savoring that chocolate bar at least twice per day!

Participants of the study ate chocolate bars one hour after waking, as well as within one hour of going to bed for two weeks. The shocking result is that no one gained weight, and the experiment showed a reduced feeling of hunger. Therefore, their overall calorie consumption was lower for the day. It even promoted healthier sleep patterns. 

These sweet scientific results are just what we needed to kick off a healthier new year. We chocolate-lovers and enthusiasts can always get behind the science of chocolate benefits. However, it’s really nice to have the facts to prove it. 

To learn more about chocolate’s health and wellness benefits from one of our FCIA members, visit Club Chokolate’s Blog. It features many different articles on this topic!

If you would like to learn more about chocolate, its origins and a group of amazing chocolatiers, be sure to check out our website here at MakeMineFine.com. Also, learn more on the Fine Chocolate Industry Association website at finechocolateindustry.org.  

The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) is the only organization focused 100% on supporting fine chocolate professionals. We promote the artistry and craftsmanship of the chocolate professional, focused on producing superior products made from premium chocolate and natural ingredients. We believe in using best practices in cacao processing and chocolate production; as well as transparent labeling and marketing practices.

Scientific research provided by GreenMedInfo; and Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel.