Chocolate and Coffee Are Actually Good For Us, & Life Is Worth Living Again!

By: Phoebe Ackland, ellaslist

A coffee or two (...or three) in the daytime and a few pieces of chocolate in the evening are two of the sweetest pleasures life can offer us. And now, rather than feeling a little cheeky or even a tad guilty when you take a sip or have a nibble, you can actually thank yourself!

According to two recent studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, coffee is quite literally a life saver. Scientists involved in the first study found that the more coffee a person consumes, the less likely they are to die of early-death causes such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Of the top 25% of coffee drinkers (sipping 3 or more cups a day of the stuff) involved in the study, it was shown that men were 12% less likely to die young, and women are 7% less likely to die early. With those stats in mind, we're off to do a coffee run! 

In the second study, the results were even more persuasive, with men proving 18% less likely to die young and women 12% less likely to die young when they drink an average of 2-3 cups per day, in comparison to their non-coffee drinking counterparts. The study also showed that there was a link between male coffee drinkers and a lower risk of suicide. 

Just The Excuse We Were Waiting For

Now, for the sweet stuff. According to Science Alert, a team of Italian scientists studied the blessed little cocoa bean and its effect on the human brain. It was shown that the some of the chemicals in chocolate (like polyphenols and flavanols) had calm-inducing, anti-memory decline properties. It was found that the regular indulgence in a little chocolate was linked to better memory and improved visual information processing.

Seriously, do you need any more convincing?