February 07, 2012
picture of dark chocolates in a red heart containerOk, Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office can't give you a piece of chocolate via the computer, but we do have the power to share some of its advantages with you.

First of all, chocolate is good for you, especially the dark chocolate kind. Honest! Is that why why 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine's Day? (1) Probably not, but your Groton chiropractor hopes you get one full of dark chocolates!

Chocolate and its central ingredient, cocoa, have beneficial effects for your heart, mind and body.

  • Cocoa has approximately 4 times higher antioxidant capacity than green tea and twice that of red wine. (2) The anti-oxidant flavanols found in cocoa beans lowers cell damage in heart disease and help reduce blood pressure. (4,6)
  • Moderate (not too much!) consumption of dark chocolate offers blood pressure lowering effects and anti-inflammatory activity. (3,6)
  • The anti-oxidants and the bigger magnesium content in dark chocolate might improve constipation problems and even speed up bowel movements! (2,5) We chiropractors know that constipation when you have back pain isn't good!

These findings are why Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office can accept the enjoyment of dark chocolate...in moderation, of course. Mood, memory, brain function, heart, immune system and stress reduction may all benefit as well. (2) Whose day isn't taken up a notch with a piece of chocolate?!

Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is adamant that not all nutrition has to be in pill form or even boring food form. Check out these articles, then chat with us about the viability of adding some dark chocolate to your life at your next Groton chiropractic visit. Contact us now to set that up before all the chocolate hearts start arriving!