Daffodils are in full- bloom, the sun is finally appearing through the grey clouds; it’s very almost Easter - time for the annual South Park Gardens Easter egg hunt! There are prizes to be won and a friendly tubby Easter bunny there to chat to the hordes of over-excited children.
It's possibly one of the most well-attended events in the park maybe due to one special ingredient - chocolate. It does seem that chocolate really brings this festival alive for children as they enter into this part of the celebrations. At the same time their parents worry about their offspring consuming so much “unhealthy” chocolate but are they right? Could we be missing the fact that there are some health benefits from this scrumptious food?
Chocolate has been found to significantly help improve blood flow and circulation, preventing the blood disorder, atherosclerosis, according to Dr Bret Stetka, a medical biology graduate. Increasing chocolate consumption by 50 g per week reduces the risk of a stroke by 14%!
Equally you might want to consider the nutritional benefits of dark chocolate, which contains important minerals - 100g of this chocolate provides 67% of the recommended daily allowance of iron.
As well as these physical effects, chocolate has a great impact on mental processes. It is thought to reduce memory loss in older people, potentially aiding in the treatment of Alzheimer's. Perhaps not surprisingly, chocolate also leads to happiness, as it releases high levels of “happy” hormones, known as “endorphins”, and contains the chemical “phenylethylamine” which is produced when you fall in love. Chocolate really is good for the heart, mind and soul!
So, in short, have a great Easter and don't forget to eat some chocolate!
Emily Drummond, Surbiton High School
