When it comes to health-boosting properties, cocoa content is key. Therefore, the darker you consume your chocolate, the better. Bittersweet chocolate contains up to 75 per cent of cocoa solids. However, some people could find that as well bitter to consume by itself.

Dark chocolate, which contains around 70 per cent cocoa solids, is tasty and healthy too. Candy, which contains only cocoa butter and milk solids, has the least healthy effects. Whatever its colour, people must always eat chocolate moderately due to its high-calorie content.

Chocolate contains the stimulant theobromine as well as phenylethylamine which stimulates the same hormones as lovemaking. There's also small quantities of a substance called anandamide which acts a bit like cannabis, giving rise towards the sensation of wellbeing.

Chocolate triggers the brain to produce endorphins, hormones which cause your pulse to hurry up and give you a pleasant high feeling, rather like finding yourself in love. Theobromine as well as phenylethylamine in cocoa will also be thought to affect levels of mood-boosting serotonin, which can ease depression.'

Cocoa beans are rich in flavonoids, antioxidants and polyphenols, the organic compounds present in fruits. They assist balance any harmful effects of fat in chocolate. Antioxidants lessen the formation of free radicals which damage cells. Flavonoids assist in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. Cocoa is a great supply of the minerals, magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and some Vitamin b which are all necessary for body.

A study of just one,000 Swedish heart attack patients completed by Swedish researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University reported that eating good quality dark chocolate seemed to significantly lower the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Heart patients who snacked on dark chocolate many times a week cut their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease with a factor of three.

Researchers from Yale University found that eating small daily levels of chocolates lowered high blood pressure in their patients and seemed to in addition have a beneficial impact on their insulin levels.

An Italian study of 5,000 people reported that including chocolates within the diet significantly slowed hardening of the arteries, a major reason for cardiac arrest.

Migraine sufferers should beware that chemicals in chocolate which induce a gentle full of most people may trigger headaches in certain people with this condition. Chocolate is rich in the proteins tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine which act on nerve cells inside the brain.

Chocolate also contains theobromine and caffeine which cause the hearts of some people to beat faster. Another side-effect of eating chocolate is heartburn as these chemicals relax the muscle between your stomach and oesophagus, causing painful acid reflux

Stress and Chocolate:

• Dark chocolate helps to lower stress hormones for example cortisol and catecholamines
• Anxiety levels may be beneficially impacted by chocolate
• Energy levels are boosted
• Ration yourself to small daily levels of dark chocolate
• Or like Casanova and Montezuma drink high cocoa content cocoa
• Chocolate lovers take advantage of oxytocin which induces a relaxed feeling in their brains
• Oxytocin can also be released through the brain during orgasm
• By affecting serotonin levels chocolate may help keep depression away throughout the dark winter months.