Valentine' Day can be sweeter and healthier with dark chocolate

Valentine's Day is February 14 and people everywhere will be purchasing sweets for their sweethearts. On this date, more chocolate is sold than at any other time during the year. It all began in 1861 when Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury Company founder John Cadbury first introduced heart-shaped boxes of candy for Valentine's Day. Over the years this has evolved into big business and in recent years more dark chocolate is being been sold. If you have decided to purchase candy for someone special, the best way to show you care is to make dark chocolate your choice. This type of chocolate offers more health benefits than does plain milk chocolate, which has more nutrients and less sugar.

Studies indicate that dark chocolate offers more benefits for men than women. It can reduce the risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. According to Scientists from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, eating dark chocolate each day could be the secret to becoming heart healthy. It seems that flavonoids have a positive effect on blood platelets. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and one bar weighing about 1.5 ounces contains approximately 950 milligrams of antioxidants. The same size bar of milk chocolate contains less than half that amount with only about 400 milligrams. White chocolate does not contain any antioxidants.

Traditionally there might be 2 or 3 pieces of dark within a large box of chocolates but now you can purchase boxes with 100% dark chocolate. Consider being creative and choose from an entire array of goodies that hail from the cacao plant and or 'baker's chocolate. Darker cocoa has a richer taste and is slightly bitter, but according to various studies, this is much better for circulation, the heart, reducing stress, and relieving pain and inflammation than other forms of chocolate.

Practically every company that produces chocolate candy now offers versions made from darker cocoa. The Mounds bar and Hershey's Special Dark candy bars have been around for a while. If you check the grocery aisles or the local drugstore, you will find M&M's, Milky Way, and Snickers also have this option as well. Remember this will vary based on location. Many health food stores offer organic chocolate with a darker hue.

If you cannot find what you are looking for elsewhere, you might consider purchasing your sweetie's favorite chocolate candy in bulk and creating your own personal Valentine's Day gift. If you are shopping in person, be sure to look for or ask a store clerk if they sell boxed or bagged candy that is completely dark chocolate. You might find one huge lump of chocolate shaped like a heart or perhaps a box with a variety of choices from the blacker cacao plant. You can choose to go with what is already packaged or become creative. You can use your own imagination to come up with something quite unique and original.

Whatever you decide, just make this February 14 a day to remember for your special someone and or everyone for whom you decide to give the gift of healthy dark edibles. Dark chocolate is said to reduce pain and inflammation, relieve stress, and give relief from migraines. Studies indicate that dark chocolate increases feel-good endorphins which lift the mood and also is heart-healthy. Remember this Valentine's Day to give the gift of dark chocolate that keeps on giving healthy benefits. Please make sure that you don't forget to save some of the spoils for your own guilty pleasure.