Recently, there has been an unsettling amount of controversy revolving around national issues. Personally, I tend to be one who keeps their stronger opinions to myself, in order to maintain some sort of perception that I am neutral (although it is anything but true). I figured that recent societal tension could be forgotten about for a few moments by discussing something a little more lightheated. I believe that no matter where your opinions stand on national issues, we can all find that our love for chocolate remains the same.

Personally, I've found that in the summer, my family always seems to be going on vacation. For most people, this is an excuse to drop the dieting for a week or so, and indulge. In my case, this system would include indulging once every three weeks or so. Specifically, in my favorite candy: Chocolate.

Because of this, I needed a reason to talk myself into the idea that overloading on Hershey bars was acceptable, and with a determined heart, I came to my conclusion, and I think you'll appreciate it.

My first reason comes from an article in the Journal of Nutrition, that discusses the science behind the effects of chocolate and our immune system. Flavan-3-ols, a substance found in cocoa), has been proven to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. This is caused by a significant reduction in serum insulin in the body of people who consume more chocolate.

Now I know the summer can leave us wishing for a better bikini body. But you know what else is important in the summer? Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays! A study conduced by German researchers discovered that women who consumed hot chocolate every morning for three months, were less effected by sunburn than those who did not.

Personally, I've never had much luck with numbers in math class. Well, luckily, the chocoholic that I am is blessed that this sweet little craving contains compounds with antioxidant effects that help people with their number and arithmetic skills.

I know this is a lot of information to take in at once. Feeling overwhelmed? Well, fortunately for you, a bit of chocolate could help with that. According to the Journal of Psychopharmacology, people who ate more chocolate reported feeling calmer than those who did not. Lets face it, chocolate already makes us all feel great, but now you have science as an excuse to eat it every single day.