Busting chocolate myths

Valentine's Day is as much about the chocolate as it is about love sometimes, if not the sole focus. For the single pringles out there, the only benefit of this holiday seems to be the steeply-discounted Lindor and seashells on February 15th. But does anything good really come out of the world's most romantic, sepia-toned, decadent combination of milk, cacao, fat, and sugar?

Dark chocolate is healthy for you

No, dark chocolate isn't 'healthy' for you in the sense that eating it exclusively will maintain good health (that's what the four food groups are for). Dark chocolate can be considered healthy in the sense that a little bit can benefit some aspects of your physical health, more than white chocolate anyway.

Researchers found that a 100 g bar of dark chocolate, as opposed to a 90 g white chocolate bar, was more effective in decreasing blood pressure and improving insulin response in already healthy people. Take these studies with a grain of salt, though. Researchers have also found that eating dark chocolate will raise your pulse rate significantly.

"Dark chocolate is really good for you." In a way yes, but don't try to justify eating a whole box of Lindor 60%.

While it has health benefits, dark chocolate is still not considered a "healthy food" so don't eat it regularly. Also, most chocolates won't have the effects of dark chocolate (those convenience store milk chocolate bars have little natural cacao left and are classified as junk food, through and through).

Chocolate is an aphrodisiac

Along with red wine, oysters, and other expensive luxurious foods, chocolate often tops the list for raising libido. However, this is often confused with its caffeine content, an energy stimulation that can be mistaken for sexual arousal.

Chocolate does contain anandamide, a naturally-produced neurotransmitters in the brain that give feelings of well-being. This excited, happy state might make sex seem like a fine idea. It also contains phenylethylamine, another neurotransmitter responsible for happiness and increases serotonin levels.

There is no research backing up the claim that chocolate directly increases sexual desire, however.

Chocolate is bad for your skin

As a pizza-faced teenager, I was always told to eat less chocolate. This was probably better for my health, but would it have been better for my skin?

Acne is caused by dead skin cells covering up sebaceous glands, which are filled with sebum–a mixture made of fats. Chocolate is also rich in fat, but that's about where all the similarities end. The fats from chocolate do not surface to your skin and add more fat to your sebaceous glands.

As often as we hear dairy products and fatty foods are bad for our skin, studies have not been able to show that chocolate directly influences acne production and there is no clear proof of its association.

Chocolate triggers headaches

Due to its caffeine and phenethylamine content, it is thought that these chemicals constrict blood vessels and cause head pain.

Researchers tested this with a group of women in a double-blind study where participants ate either chocolate or carob, a plant that tastes like chocolate. The results found that chocolate was no more likely than the carob in triggering headaches, migraines, or tension-type of pain.

We don't know about chocolate-induced migraines, but we have heard that chocolate is accepted as the common cure for relieving the cold, empty feeling you have inside after encountering a Dementor. Although that might be because there wasn't any acetaminophen available in the wizarding world.

What do you think? What effects does chocolate have on you? Do you prefer dark, milk, white, or something else? Are you waiting for Feb. 15 to hoard on Belgian seashells, kisses, and turtles? Or do you prefer the convenience store chocolate bars? Maybe you're one of the few who's able to resist chocolate's allure altogether. Let us know in the comments below!