If you love chocolates, then you are viewing the right page. Here, you will discover a few good reasons to remind you that chocolates can be healthy too. Remember however that not just any chocolate is healthy: no, not your white chocolate, not your creamy versions, not your peanut butter flavored favorite, and certainly not your nougat and caramel-filled snack bar.

The qualification for being included in the “health food” list is the cocoa content of your chocolate, so typically, you should be looking for something that hits the 70 percent mark or higher. If you know that you are munching “that” kind, read on and check out why dark chocolate is healthy for you.

1. Dark chocolate can buff up your cardiovascular system. Dark chocolate contains phenols that help lower heart and blood pressure problems. Simply put, as with red wine, dark chocolate may be good for your heart. Also, the pleasurable feeling that you experience after getting a bite of the stuff gives your heart a dose of pumping exercise.

2. Dark chocolate can fight depression. The chocolate releases serotonin in your brain. This serotonin is responsible for giving you that warm fuzzy and pleasurable feeling. If you are depressed, stop thinking about ending your life. Eat dark chocolates and you will soon be well on the road to recovery and emotional healing.

3. Dark chocolate can satiate your sexual cravings. A past issue of Reader's Digest revealed that a growing number of women prefer chocolates to sex. Another study reported that the mere melting sensation of chocolate in the tongue could increase brain and heart activity at a rate that exceeds the record set by passionate kissing. If you are feeling a tad shy about satisfying yourself, help yourself to a piece of dark chocolate – a mess-free, pain-free and guiltless trip to euphoria.

4. Dark chocolate can supply your body with anti-oxidants. Here, you get a bonus. In addition to feeling young, you can actually delay aging and look younger longer. Anti-oxidants in dark chocolate help you do that. Remember that the anti-aging boon is the result of a combination of anti-oxidants, a good mood and a healthy heart.

In a nutshell, dark chocolate is good for your health because it sets you in a light mood, it helps delay the aging process and it strengthens your heart.

Still, be warned that eating too much of the stuff can be detrimental to your wellness. Dark chocolate is still a high-sugar, high-calorie food. Therefore, if you are on a diet or enrolled in a slimming and weight loss program, helping yourself to a bar of dark chocolate or a cup of rich cocoa will eventually do you more harm than good. Do not put yourself at the risk for diabetes and obesity, and do remember to take things in moderation. If you have a sweet tooth and really want to know how much dark chocolate is good for your body, consult your nutritionist.