It is a universal truth that after Valentine’s Day sales are the best for chocolate lovers. Chocolate is the real MVP of Valentine’s Day.

Business to Community Blogger Madeline Boehmer estimated that 58 million pounds of chocolate were sold during the week of Valentine’s Day in 2015. Even Kessel embraced the chocolate train by offering heart shaped chocolate chip cookie cakes with chocolate icing in the weeks leading up to the holiday.

For those who have yet to buy any chocolate recently, there may be some unexpected benefits to chocolate consumption that will make you want to TREAT YO SELF, in the words of Tom Haverford from NBC’s Parks and Recreation.

• Chocolate can help reduce stress. Women’s Health Magazine in 2012 reported that UC San Diego researchers found that consuming dark chocolate can reduce stress hormone levels. For students still adjusting to their spring schedules still, an ounce of dark chocolate will do them good!
• Chocolate provides antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that help prevent damage to cells by preventing toxins and wastes from the cells to accumulate in the body. Antioxidants can be found in pomegranates, green tea, or tomatoes for example. University of Michigan’s Medical School researchers found that most kinds of chocolates have some amount of antioxidants. Cocoa powder contains the most antioxidants with 88 to 96 percent of antioxidants in the cocoa followed by dark or baking chocolate at 45 to 80 percent, milk chocolate with 5 to 7 percent and then white chocolate, which sadly has zero. The Michigan researchers also recommend chocolate that is at least 60 percent cocoa for better antioxidant effects.
• Hot chocolate may prevent memory decline. In these cold months, everyone turns to a nice hot cup of coffee, tea or cocoa to stay warm, especially on days where the dorms are freezing. A study at Harvard Medical School suggests that two cups of hot cocoa per day could prevent memory decline according to Medical News Today. For the days leading up to midterms, a few cups of coffee swapped out for a few cups of hot chocolate could possibly help keep students’ memories in shape for the hours of studying.
• Chocolate does not cause acne. Contrary to every mom’s popular belief that chocolate causes acne, it does not! Researchers constantly battle over the relation between chocolate and acne. However, acne remedy giant Proactiv reports that chocolate is not the cause for acne, rather a correlation where eat chocolate may be eaten recently but the acne just happened to show its horrible ways. Diet does affect acne, so students must remember that a healthy diet and proper face washing care will help keep the acne to a minimum.

With the added savings from the holiday ending and many benefits related to chocolates, how could anyone deny the chocolate goodness?