The hotel is named after chocolate magnate and philanthropist Milton Hershey who finished only fourth grade but managed to build a sweet empire that conquered America and many parts of the world. Following a trip to Europe, Hershey built the hotel in 1930 which became a popular destination. His love of chocolate is reflected in The Spa which offers a variety of chocolate treatments like the Whipped Cocoa Bath and Chocolate Hydrotherapy.

In the former, the customer gets a foaming chocolate milk bath for $45. The 15-minute bath is said to soothe the senses and soften the skin. In Chocolate Hydrotherapy, essence of coca is used to help a person relax and relieve minor aches and pains. A 25-minute session costs $55.

The above spa treatments may sound ridiculous but scientists are slowly uncovering many health benefits of chocolate. At the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Boston, researchers reported that eating flavonoid-rich foods like chocolate decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“One study found that a substance in cocoa helps the body process nitric oxide, a compound critical for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. Another study showed that flavonols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, and make blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots,” revealed Patti Schmidt in “Chocolate’s Potential Health Benefits and Its Effect on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.”

Flavonoids come from plant metabolites and are most commonly known for antioxidant properties. To date, scientists have identified over 4,000 types on flavonoids. When it comes to chocolate, the cocoa bean contains large quantities of flavonoids. Other sources high in flavonoids include red wine, tea, cranberries, peanuts, strawberries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables. Those flavonoids in chocolate are called flavonols.

At this time, no one knows if bathing in chocolate will produce the same effects. But The Spa at the Hotel Hershey has a simple solution for that: it offers chocolate treats to customers. With their service, you can bathe in chocolate and eat it too.

If you prefer relaxing in your own hot tub at the privacy of your own home, simply go online and choose the model you like depending on your budget.

Chocolate contains caffeine and saturated fats, and these two factors create a reputation as bad for us. Cholesterol levels raise because the fat in cocoa butter, but it also contains phenolen which helps reduces the risk of heart disease.

A cup of regular coffee has more caffeine in than one ounce of chocolate, 150 mg compared to 6 mg. Therefore its far better to give up coffee than it is chocolate.

Chocolate has also found to contain more antioxidants than green tea. The catechins within are powerful in preventing some cancers and heart disease. Chocolate also creates endorphins enable us to become relaxed, allows more oxygen to reach our inner blood supply and can even improve our memory.
Do not be misled, chocolate does have some negative effects but they are outweighed by the positives. Eating chocolate as part of a varied diet where intake is balanced with regular exercise is probably healthy for the heart.

Chocolate also contains a variety of minerals that are essential to good nutrition. These include calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. Each of these minerals plays important roles in a variety of biological functions, including growth, bone formation, metabolism and oxygen transport within the blood.

If you love chocolate and eat it regularly, the most beneficial types are dark chocolates that contain only natural ingredients and are not overly processed. Just remember, chocolate is high in calories and eating too much can therefore make you fat, increasing your risk of heart disease and over-eating of chocolate can also lead to obesity.