Chocolate is good for you

Time and again, we are told it will make us fat and spotty but, during Chocolate Week, which runs until Sunday, allow yourself to enjoy that melt-in-the-mouth feeling safe in the knowledge it actually has health benefits.

But your average choccie bar from the newsagent or supermarket won't do. You need to eat good quality dark chocolate made with high levels of cocoa and less sugar for a healthy boost. Such tasty treats are available from Brighton shops such as Choccywoccydoodah, Montezuma's, Audrey's, Thorntons and Caramella.

So go on, lie back on the sofa, take yourself to bed early or bathe yourself in a bubble bath and indulge in chocolate.

You should eat chocolate for good health because...

It is a proven aphrodisiac. For centuries, chocolate has been getting people in the mood for love. If you've ever joked that eating chocolate is a substitute for sex, you weren't far wrong - chocolate contains chemicals which induce the feeling of love.

It makes you happy. Chocolate releases the cheery chemical, serotonin, in the brain which reduces anxiety. Chocolate has been used to treat depression for centuries.

It gives you a lift as it contains stimulants such as caffeine and it reduces pain by triggering the release of endorphins.

It contains fluoride which is good for your teeth. It is good for your heart, muscles and nerves because it contains potassium and it also contains vitamins A, B1, C, D and E and sodium and iron.

It is good for your heart. Real chocolate with a high cocoa content could help prevent heart problems. It contains cocoa butter which reduces cholesterol. Research found eating dark chocolate seems to make blood vessels more flexible, which helps prevent the hardened arteries which lead to heart attacks.

It contains antioxidents to combat free radicals which are increased by pollution and sunlight and are linked to artery damage, cancer, heart disease, premature ageing and arthritis.

It regulates blood pressure. Flavenols found in cocoa drinks and chocolate boost the production of nitric oxide which is important in regulating blood pressure and could be as beneficial as aspirin.

It reduces the chances of developing deep vein thrombosis because of the flavenol content. A 50g bar of chocolate contains the same amount of flavenols as two glasses of red wine, four cups or tea, six apples or seven onions.

Chocolate is good for your weight as part of a healthy lifestyle. Real chocolate does not contain the processed sugars and fats which contribute to obesity. Most real chocolate contains cane sugars or natural fruit sugars and shouldn't contain vegetable fats or any artificial additives.