National Chocolate Day is a great day to have a little of one of the world's favorite foods. National Chocolate Day is on October 28th of each year, and it's a great time to share chocolate with those you love and care about. Created by the National Confectioners Association, it's also a day when the health benefits of chocolate are promoted and talked about.

All About Chocolate

In the tropics grows an amazing tree called the cacao. The fruit of this tree grow seed pods known as cacao beans. These seeds are roasted, ground up and added to other ingredients to create chocolate. People have been eating chocolate for millennia because of its amazing taste. As a matter of fact, the eating of chocolate goes back almost 4,000 years to the Olmec civilization. The Early Mesoamerican people, such as the Aztecs and the Maya, made a chocolate drink to enjoy. Once the Europeans found America, they were able to bring chocolate back with them to great excitement. Chocolate is now enjoyed all over the world by people of all ages. The rich, sweet taste of chocolate has kept this food popular all this time and led to millions of people every day enjoying it.

Health Benefits of Chocolate

There are many health benefits of eating chocolate of different kinds. Both milk chocolate and dark chocolate have a number of nutrients that are vital to humans. This food contains high antioxidant levels. It also has been found to be able to lower cholesterol levels and to prevent the decline of memory. Harvard scientists found that chocolate can enable better brain health and improve the flow of blood to the areas of the brain where more blood is needed. This can help it to fight diseases like Alzheimer's.

Cocoa, the most important ingredient that goes into chocolate, has also been found to contain phenolic compounds that are biologically active which are antioxidants that are often found in fruits and vegetables. One study found that cognitive function could be improved just by eating chocolate every week. Chocolate has also been found to help lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 33%. It also lowers the risk of stroke by 22%.

Giving Chocolate as a Gift

There are so many different varieties and ways to enjoy chocolate that there's is a perfect National Chocolate Day gift for everyone. This chocolate gift basket is the perfect gift for the day. It's not only full of delicious chocolate, but it also has a fun fall theme. That's just perfect for a holiday that is celebrated on October 28th. Chocolate makes a great gift for virtually everyone, just as it has been for thousands of years because of its amazing taste.