EASTER EGGS ARE GOOD FOR YOU ...

BY CALLY GRANT

Chocolate Easter eggs. Surely one of the finest German inventions ever. No-one can be quite sure who first came up with the idea of combining chocolate and eggs but whoever did was a marketing genius. In these health-conscious times though can we still justify this tradition, or should we ban such an indulgent confectionary?

I once read an article, in the Guardian I think, that claimed you can find evidence to support any argument you like if you look hard enough. So, on behalf of chocoholics everywhere I decided to take up the challenge and here are my results.

Chocolate Is Good For Your Brain

• Cocoa-rich drinks are rich in chemicals called flavanols. These enhance brain function, fight sleep deprivation, fatigue, and aging!

• They are the same chemicals present in Green Tea, which is touted as a preventative for stroke, heart failure, cancer, and diabetes. Gwyneth Paltrow drinks gallons of it and she looks fab. Sadly, I couldn’t find any mention of her imbibing Thornton’s continental choccies, but I’ll keep looking. Chocolate helps prevent cancer.

• Ok, we’ve met flavanols ... now meet flavonoids. These are antioxidants: you know, those things beloved of cosmetics companies, ‘We slapped this on our model, and she looked twenty years younger after we’d photographed her in soft-focus and air-brushed her so even her own mother wouldn’t recognise her.’

• We do know that they help prevent cancer. We also know they don’t do this directly. In fact, our bodies view flavonoids as highly undesirable and work hard to get rid of them. Byproducts of this effort are phase II enzymes, which help eliminate mutagens and carcinogens, which sound like the aliens from an episode of Captain Scarlett and are equally nasty. Only small amounts of flavonoids are required for this beneficial effect but hey ... have another egg just to make sure.

CHOCOLATE IS A MOOD-BOOSTER

• It contains small amounts of phenylethylamine, anandamide, tryptophan and caffeine. These are natural mood boosters, so this explains why women crave the stuff when they’re premenstrual, pregnant, at work, awake …

• I guess chocolate is both naughty and nice and annoyingly, as with anything life, moderation is the key.

• Dark chocolate is definitely better for you overall. Sixty per cent cocoa solids is great but 70 or 75 per cent is better. Milk chocolate contains fewer cocoa solids and has a higher sugar and fat content, and I couldn’t find any research saying either of these have hidden health benefits ... and believe me I looked really hard.

So, enjoy your eggs this Easter. Chocolate is delicious, fun and a perfect pick-me-up. Just don’t overdo it.