IF you needed anymore justification for indulging in your favorite treat, you’ve come to the right place. Good news alert: Chocolate can enhance your health. The keyword here, though, is “can.”

Depending on the exact chocolate you use (and of course how much of it you eat), you may or may not reap the fermented dessert’s wellness-boosting benefits. “Look for at least 70 percent cocoa,” says Cordialis Msora-Kasago, RD, regional nutrition manager for Sodexo and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Let’s take a look at chocolate’s health benefits (and pitfalls) — beyond its tasty flavor.

It may prevent blood clots.

One study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association offers evidence that chocolate polyphenols can increase blood flow. By widening your blood vessels and increasing blood flow, Msora-Kasago explains that this can help decrease your risk of blood clots.

It lowers your risk of major diseases.

Rich in flavonoids (potent antioxidants), chocolate works to help blood vessels relax, which decreases blood pressure, says Msora-Kasago. This leads to a plethora of benefits, like increasing HDL (or “good”) cholesterol and LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, which can improve heart health. Research backs this up, demonstrating that moderate chocolate consumption (up to six servings a week) can help lower your risk of rapid heart rate, which can lead to heart problems or stroke. Another study confirms this, showing a tasty chocolate bar can lower your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, as long as you keep servings to six or less per week.

It can relieve inflammation in the body.

Inflammation can lead to lots of health issues, from diseases to headaches to sore muscles and tendons. Chocolate can provide an anti-inflammatory effect throughout your system, helping to stave off diseases and keep you healthy. One study found that the cocoa polyphenols positively regulate the bacterial composition of the intestine — increasing the number of good gut bacteria — which can trigger this anti-inflammatory response.

It could support your mind and mood.

Besides just making you smile when you eat it, there’s lots of research around chocolate’s effects on the brain. “Chocolate helps regulate the feel-good hormone serotonin and dopamine, and can lift mood,” Msora-Kasago says. Researchers link cocoa to improved attention, processing speed, and memory. Meanwhile, other science says it can keep your cognition in top shape. Msora-Kasago mentions researchers are looking into its link to fighting off Alzheimer’s.

It could help with your weight.

“For weight management, chocolate may play a role in reducing insulin resistance and keeping blood sugar levels in check,” Msora-Kasago says. One study found that chocolate could reduce body weight and BMI in healthy individuals, if taken at 30 grams a day or more between four and eight weeks. (Keep in mind, this was a small subgroup.) Another says the treat could help obese individuals at risk of insulin resistance by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.(SD-Agencies)