When most people think about chocolate and its role in human health, they generally don’t consider the health benefits of chocolate. According to a study in the BMJ journal Heart, those who consume a significant amount of chocolate daily (up to the equivalence of 2.5 Hershey bars) are 11 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

1. It Improves Your Blood Flow

Cocoa, the number one ingredient in chocolate, has anti-clotting, as well as blood-thinning, properties. In fact, cocoa can work in a way that is similar to aspirin, a medication that assists in improving blood flow and circulation.

2. It Helps Your Vision

Since chocolate helps your body to circulate blood, researchers at the University of Reading have found that eating chocolate can improve vision due to the increased blood flow to the retina.

3. It Helps Fight Off Diseases

Cocoa contains polyphenols, nutrients that are known for their antioxidant capacity and their possible beneficial implications in human health. Polyphenols have shown to treat and prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other pathologies.

4. It Reduces Your Risk for Having a Stroke or Heart Disease

People who consume chocolate regularly are greatly affected by the benefits that chocolate provides the heart with. These benefits include lower blood pressure, a lower risk for having heart disease, as well as an overall lower “bad” LDL cholesterol. A Swedish study from 2011 also shows that those who consume more than 45 grams of chocolate per week have a 20 percent lower risk of having a stroke.

5. It Makes You Feel Less Hungry

Since dark chocolate is full of fiber, eating the delicious treat can actually make you feel less hungry. Instead of snacking on several other things, why not try the chocolate first? A study from the University of Copenhagen also suggests that eating chocolate may reduce cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods.

6. It Can Help Your Skin

You can ignore all of those things you’ve heard about chocolate being a cause for breakouts! Eating dark chocolate is actually really good for your skin. Since cocoa contains flavonoids, an antioxidant, chocolate can actually protect your skin from UV damage from the sun.

7. It Can Reduce Risk for Diabetes

A study done in Italy has shown that eating chocolate regularly can increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin; because of this, the risk for diabetes is reduced.

So, next time somebody tells you to cut back on the chocolate, let them know that chocolate isn't so bad for you (in moderation of course)!