10 Reasons to eat dark chocolate

Amongst my friends it is a well known fact that I absolutely love to eat dark chocolate- I rarely miss my daily dose of chocolate! Here are 10 good reasons to include it in your diet too:

1. Protect the body against free radical and oxidative damage
2. Are potent inhibitors of LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidation and damage to blood vessel walls
3. Improve blood flow, reduce atherosclerotic plaques and lower blood pressure
4. Provide an anti-neurodegenerative effect, protecting the brain cells from amyloid beta
protein development
5. Help prevent the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and normalise blood sugars
through their insulin mimetic action
6. Sustain health of red blood cells
7. Preserve pancreatic islet cells, which are responsible for producing insulin
8. Increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides
9.  Relieve inflammation and activates the immune system
10.  May help decrease the risk of depression and increase mental acuity.