Did you know chocolate can be great for your health? From PMS to great sex, check out these 10 irresistible sexy benefits of chocolate.
There’s just no getting around it: chocolate is amazing. It’s delicious in a pie, in cookies, cake, hot drinks, cold drinks, and, on an especially adventurous night, slathered over you or your lover’s body.
On top of being delicious, however, chocolate also carries some real health benefits, both mentally and physically. I mean, there’s a reason why you don’t see girls fresh after a breakup dip into a crisp salad instead of a tub of triple chocolate ice cream. Chocolate is comforting, sexy, and did we fail to mention, delicious? [Read: How to survive the first 168 hours after a breakup]
It should be noted that the studies and facts in this article refer to dark chocolate only, as dark chocolate contains a more complex and natural makeup than milk or white chocolates. This may be because dark chocolate is made up of 70% cocoa, which has been hailed by many as one of the best natural medicines in the entire world. In fact, in the middle ages, cocoa was commonly used for bowel problems, fever, anemia, emaciation and a ton of other ailments.
The benefits of chocolate for you and your partner
Here are just some of the very many benefits of chocolate that both you and your partner would love.
#1 Better than sex? Well… I might not go that far. Still, many researchers say that devouring any delicacy with dark chocolate may actually release the same endorphins that are triggered by having an orgasm! Now that’s one heck of a chocolate bar! But if that’s true, wouldn’t women be lined up around the block of the nearest convenience store, buying up all the chocolate they could? Well, I didn’t say it would *give* you an orgasm… just those happy feelings that go along with it.
Many studies have been done on chocolate, sex and their similarities, with some studies even finding that consuming chocolate gives you a longer, stronger “buzz” than kissing does!
#2 Great before a first date. Chocolate is great for anxiety. Some even claim that it’s a natural anxiety treatment! Chocolate contains Theobromine, which elevates our mood. Strangely, it’s also the same ingredient in chocolate that makes it dangerous for your dog to ingest!
Still, the next time you’re feeling social anxiety at your friend’s sexy bachelorette party or when you feel your nerves kicking in right before a first date, try having a gooey piece of dark chocolate, and see what happens! [Read: 14 quick stress busters to recharge your mind]
#3 Total PMS fighter. Boyfriends, unite… and buy your girlfriend some chocolate! It’s no secret that sometimes girls can get crabby during that “time of the month.” Want to help your girlfriend out? Give her a box of dark chocolates, and she’ll love you for more reasons than one.
Most women naturally crave chocolate during their menstruation. This is because of the endorphins *usually likened to an orgasm, chemically* that chocolate releases. These endorphins then reduce anxiety. More reasons to love chocolate when you’re feeling crampy and bloated? It contains a high level of magnesium, which helps combat a bad mood, and reduces the water you’re retaining. [Read: 10 ways to make your girl feel better on her period]
#4 It contains cancer-fighting antioxidants. Aside from being delicious, chocolate contains powerful antioxidants that are good for the body. Antioxidants are often hailed as a super molecule. The antioxidants in chocolate may help to fight cancer, memory problems, eye issues, mood disorders and heart problems. They can also help remove free radicals, protect the skin, support the immune system and protect DNA mutations and cell membranes. So the next time you’re offered a dark chocolate brownie, eat up!
#5 A happy heart makes for happy sex. Dark chocolate may actually be good for your heart, and what’s good for your heart is often good for your sex life! A study on dark chocolate and heart health found that those who consumed 20 grams of dark chocolate per day had improved blood flow.
Because of the polyphenols found in dark chocolate, as well as the antioxidants, dark chocolate has the ability to improve the flow of blood and prevent blood clots. Because of proper circulation and blood flow, dark chocolate may also prevent the arteries from hardening.
You know what else that means? It means that the improved blood flow all around your body, especially your genital area, can help you reach and maintain arousal. That’s definitely good news for couples!
#6 Type II diabetes. What? Chocolate, good for diabetes? Believe it or not, dark chocolate keeps your blood and circulation healthy, which helps protect your body against Type 2 Diabetes. The flavonoids in dark chocolate may also be used for reducing insulin resistance and promoting healthy cell function. Dark chocolate is also surprisingly low in sugar, meaning it won’t damage a diabetic’s sugar levels.
#7 Great for pregnancy. You know how you get those insane cravings during pregnancy, like melted chocolate over pickles? Well, as long as it’s dark chocolate, that may be just fine… if not a little gross!
Yes, another female-based reason for loving chocolate is that studies have shown that theobromine, a chemical found in dark chocolate, may actually reduce the pregnancy complication “pre-eclampsia.”
Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy disorder wherein the body has a high blood pressure count, and a high count of protein can be found in the urine. Pre-eclampsia may result from having diabetes, renal disease, suffering from obesity and other factors. Just another great reason to get your much on while you’re pregnant!
#8 Sexier, supple skin. While shoveling in the chocolate may not be clearing up your acne anytime soon, one study certainly found sensational skin benefits after chocolate consumption. German researcher Wilhelm Stahl had his participants eat chocolate for six weeks, which is possibly the world’s most amazing job, and then exposed them to an ultraviolet light. Over the course of the next six weeks, 15% found their skin showed less redness than before. Other benefits found were denser, less scaly, and sexier skin.
#9 Better than coffee? Coffee addicts may object, but the truth is that dark chocolate may do better than coffee does to keep your brain alert! Just as with the heart, dark chocolate works wonders for blood flow, which is also a plus for sexually active males! Along with reducing the risk of stroke, dark chocolate opens and increases blood flow to the brain. Another positive for your brain? Dark chocolate contains caffeine, and much less-so than the amount found within coffee, which is 27 mg vs. the 200 mg in coffee. This makes chocolate the perfect stimulant for brain function.
#10 It’s the ultimate sex food. I’m not just talking about having a bite of delicious cocoa before slipping under the sheets. I mean that tied with whipped cream for first place, chocolate is the ultimate food you can and should mix with sex. Use edible chocolate creams, or straight up chocolate syrup on your lover, and you’re in for a night that neither of you will be forgetting any time soon! Just make sure you don’t get it on the head of the penis, or anywhere inside the woman’s vagina – trust me, UTIs are not sexy.
[Read: Feasting on each other’s bodies and 49 other ways to make your romps kinkier]
Just because you’ve now read about the many health benefits of dark chocolate, doesn’t mean you should be eating chocolate pie for dinner! Keeping everything in moderation means a quicker way to better sex, lowered anxiety, and a healthier mind.
