The 4 secret health benefits of eating Easter eggs revealed

FOR most people, Easter means one thing – chocolate eggs.

While too much chocolate isn’t great for anyone, experts have revealed some surprising health benefits in your favourite Easter treat.

GettyEaster is full of delicious chocolate eggs and treats and one expert has revealed that there could be some benefits to indulging this weekend[/caption]

Ryan James, a Health & Wellbeing Advisor at Vitality said there could actually be some health benefits to tucking in.

He explained that people are often surprised to know that a daily serving of chocolate is actually good for you.

The expert said that it’s all to do with the antioxidants that are contained in chocolate.

Before before you reach for an afternoon pick me up of milk chocolate, Ryan said this only applies to the dark variety.

Ryan said the secret health benefits of chocolate are:

heart healthdisease preventionmood boosterhealthy gut

He explained: “That’s because cocoa beans contain flavanols, an antioxidant, plant-based compound thought to help heart health, and possibly even prevent cancer, in high enough doses.

“Another great thing about eating chocolate with high cocoa content is that it can even make you feel happier.

“A recent study found that, healthy adults who consumed 10g of 85 per cent dark chocolate three times a day saw improvements in mood, thanks to cocoa’s prebiotic effects, promoting the growth of ‘good’ gut bacteria.

“Dark chocolate also promotes the release of feel-good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins that create pleasurable feelings, and positively enhance mood”, he said.

Ryan said that when it comes to indulging this Easter, the key is to keep things balanced.

He said: “If you are overwhelmed with chocolate, try to portion it out and make it last longer or use the chocolate to mix in with baking to eke it out.

“You don’t have to make the healthiest choice, but a slighter better option might be to have fruit and nuts with a little bit of added chocolate chunks.

“As always, try to make sure you have a balanced diet and keeping your activity levels up.”

NIGHT OWL

While we all want to have an enjoyable Easter, we also don’t want our egg consumption to impact other parts of our lives.

Ryan said that chocolate is quiet often consumed infront of the TV during the evening.

But he warned that this could affect the quality of your sleep – so you should avoid eating your eggs before bedtime.

He added: “Adenosine is a molecule that promotes tiredness, however caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in our brain, preventing adenosine from binding to these receptors, and preventing you from feeling tired.”

If you do have a craving for sweet treats in the evening though, Ryan said you should have a couple of squares of dark chocolate after your dinner.

“Finding new ways to add it to your diet already may also help people who are not so keen on the flavour.

“Dark chocolate, with a high cocoa content, is naturally bitter, especially compared to its sweet milk and white counterparts.

“Even though it tastes bitter at first, you’ll find your taste buds will adapt”, he added.