Cuckoo for cacao!

Dark chocolate lovers rejoice! More information on the benefits of chocolate to your skin!

The antioxidant properties of cocoa are higher than that of blueberries and green tea. Cocoa is high in flavanoids – antioxidants that have the ability to defend our skin against the damage the free radicals cause – containing especially high levels of flavanols, including epicatechin. Flavanols keep the skin hydrated and repair cells that have been damaged by sun exposure. Epicatechin has unique antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that protect the skin from exposure to irritants like caffeine and cigarette smoke and other environmental pollutants.

THE CATCH!

The health benefits of chocolate stem from the bitter cocoa it contains, NOT from the high quantities of sugar that make most chocolate treats so tempting. When using chocolate to garner the amazing skin benefits:

-Stick to dark chocolate: chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa. (Milk chocolate only contains about 50-60%).

-Consume no more than 1 ounce daily: that is usually 1 or 2 small squares from a block of chocolate

-Avoid candy bars: they are high in fat and sugar, and the benefits listed above are very minimal