Go on, treat yourself.
If healthy people binge for one day the body will work a bit harder to deal with the calories and it is unlikely to cause weight gain. Making chocolates last a bit longer may be more damaging to the waistline, but there are positive aspects to daily chocolate consumption.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a Nestlé study of 90 Dutch people in 2012 suggested that eating chocolate every day may reduce anxiety levels. A number of studies point to potential health benefits of regularly eating small amounts of dark chocolate, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. So, consider asking Santa for dark chocolates and eke them out.
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Asked by: Sam Doyle, Belfast
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Dr Emma Davies is a science writer and editor with a PhD in food chemistry from the University of Leeds. She writes about all aspects of chemistry, from food and the environment to toxicology and regulatory science.
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