(Michele Blood – LifeZette) Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13, and families all across the country are asking each other the same question: “What should we get Mom for Mother’s Day?”
There’s (literally) a sweet answer that checks every box on your wish list — it’s inexpensive and easy to find. New research says it’s good for moms, too.
Enter the humble chocolate. But not just any chocolate –– dark chocolate. Three new studies present impressive results about chocolate’s effects on the immune system, stress, and even vision, according to one of the studies.
In a study published April 26 in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, a trio of researchers from the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas examined the effects of eating milk chocolate versus dark chocolate on different aspects of vision, including visual acuity (sharpness) and contrast sensitivity (ability to distinguish objects from their background).
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Results of one of the tests revealed that participants improved their eyesight 40 percent. A word of caution on the study: “The improvement is notable,” said Everyday Health, “but it’s also important to point out the small sample size of participants.”
Additionally, the results of two small-scale, preliminary studies from Loma Linda University in California are promising. The data represent the first human trials to explore the impact of dark chocolate on cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health.
Many still discount chocolate, dark or otherwise, as unhealthy, as a “cheat treat.” But this new research suggests there are quite a number of health benefits to chocolate, even more than previously believed.
Dark chocolate that is at least 70 percent cacao and 30 percent organic cane sugar can: