What are the nutritional facts when it comes to chocolate?
The truth is that chocolate is believed to have a host of health properties. It is a complex food that — depending on how it is manufactured — can be extremely high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are considered important because the aging process and the development of many chronic and degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are believed to be caused at least in part by something called “oxidative stress”. Oxidative stress is brought on by the onset of free radicals in the body, which damage your cells over time. It’s a natural process there’s no escape from. Your body has a number of systems that help eliminate free radicals, but it’s not 100% efficient and it ultimately fights a losing battle over time. And many of our eating and nutritional habits simply serve to speed up the onslaught of free radicals in our bodies. And that’s where chocolate — especially dark chocolate — comes in.
