There are several occasions where personalised chocolates make the perfect gift, including birthdays, anniversaries, Easter, to say congratulations and even apologize, as you can customize the chocolate to make the present personal to the individual.
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In addition to tasting great, there are also a number of other health benefits of giving chocolate, so you can give a gift that keeps on giving! So, what are these benefits of chocolate? Let’s take a closer look, below.
Improves Cognitive Performance
Regularly eating chocolate can result in better cognitive performance, including memory, attention, language and reasoning. Chocolate can help the brain to function, as cocoa is a source of natural neuroprotective compounds. Studies have shown that flavanols boost the speed of visual imagery being processed and the brain’s blood circulation.
Good For The Heart
Dark chocolate helps to restore the flexibility of arteries and prevent white blood cells from sticking to the blood vessel walls. Eating dark chocolate can also help to fight against atherosclerosis.
The sweet treat can also help to protect against diabetes and high blood pressure, which are both risk factors for heart disease. What’s more, by eating some chocolate every day, it could prevent insulin resistance and lead to a lower risk of stroke.
Reduces Memory Decline
By simply drinking some hot chocolate every day, it may help to prevent memory decline and keep the brain healthy for longer. This is because the chocolate helps to improve the blood flow to vital parts of the brain. Each part of the brain requires different amounts of energy to complete tasks, which therefore needs greater blood flow.
Full Of Minerals
Dark chocolate is full of minerals that are beneficial for the functioning of the body. These include potassium, zinc and selenium. This type of chocolate also includes a high percentage of iron, which is an important component of hemoglobin; this helps the red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs around the body.
Makes You Feel Better
When you feel like you’re falling in love, your brain creates the chemical phenylethylamine (PEA), which is the same chemical included in chocolate. Therefore by eating chocolate, the PEA encourages your brain to release these endorphins that make you feel good. So, if you’re not feeling happy, by eating some chocolate you may feel a bit happier!
Healthy Skin
People used to think that if they ate a lot of chocolate then they would get skin acne and breakouts. However, it’s now been shown that dark chocolate is a great source of flavonols. These are a group of plant metabolites with excellent antioxidant effects, which can fight against any skin damage and free radicals in the bloodstream.
As you can see, chocolate is full of benefits for the individual. However, it’s important to remember to eat the delicious treat in moderation, as it has a high-calorie count and can contain a high amount of sugar. So, next time you’re thinking about a gift to give to your friends, family, other half or colleague, consider a box of personalized chocolates!
Here are some chocolate ideas to get you started:
- Over 30 Recipes for Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
- White Chocolate Recipes
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