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Is Valentine's Day Good for You?

When it comes to holidays, tradition and good health are seldom friends. Christmas is plagued by last minute shopping and anxiety-ridden visits with the folks. Thanksgiving is for gorging. New Year's Eve? Forget about it.

But Valentine's Day is different. From the beneficial ingredients found in dark chocolate, down to the various stress-relieving hormones that pounce into action with the beat of your heart, this celebrated occasion may contribute to not only a healthy relationship but a healthy body, too.

While being on your best behavior for one day each year won't reverse a year-long binge on bad habits, there are intriguing hints that the minor steps encouraged by this romance-centric holiday can add to a healthier life. Here's how:

Dark Chocolate
A box of Godiva has long been a favorite Valentine's gift, but it was a soft-spoken Indian Tribe from Panama that made dark chocolate a hit with doctors. Researchers from Harvard discovered that the Kuna Indians, who live on a cluster of idyllic islands along the Panamanian coast, have an extremely low rate of hypertension and heart disease, despite eating plenty of salty foods. The reason has to do with the five to six cups of raw cocoa the Kuna have each day, which they boil with their drinking water.

Researchers have since identified the main heart-boosting ingredient as flavanoids, an antioxidant that is found in less succulent things, like green tea. Because flavanoids are bitter tasting, most candy makers just take them out. "You lose them with milk chocolate, which is the chocolate most tend to prefer," says Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University. He recommends gourmet dark chocolate that is made with plenty of cocoa powder. "The connoisseurs like the more bitter taste," he says.

Red Wine
A nice glass of bordeaux or merlot is another good move. Red wines are high in flavanoids as well, which means that a decadent mix of wine and chocolate is not as bad for you as it sounds. "They compliment each other nicely," says Blumberg. Of course, you still need some self-control. "In moderate amounts," he says, "they can add a little health benefit for you and your sweetheart."

The Act of Remembering to Give
The guy who makes special plans weeks in advance, remembers to buy the flowers and compliments his date on her dress, has far better days in store for him than just Valentine's. Indeed, studies show that a person who is thoughtful, organized and delays gratification to the benefit of others is likely to drink less, not smoke, keep the weight off and live years longer.

However, they may also make for a pretty boring short-term date, with long-term upside.

"Conscientious people do things out of obligation, regardless of emotion," says Dr. Brent Roberts, a psychologist at the University of Illinois. Still, such polite manners can create relationships that last after the immediate passion is gone. "It leads to stability," says Roberts.

A Trusting Relationship
Making a relationship work is still more art than science, but at a basic biological level, social bonds are linked to a hormone known as oxytocin. This brain chemical is pretty much the direct opposite of the stress hormones that raise the risk of heart disease and depression. Looking at women who reported more frequent hugs with their partners, researchers in North Carolina found that the higher oxytocin levels resulted in lower blood pressure.

Good Sex
Oxytocin may also explain the health benefits from what many consider the perfect ending to a Valentine's Day date. In a recent study from Scotland, researchers measured how people dealt with stress after having sex. Compared to those who practiced abstinence—or had oral sex—those who took part in more intimate forms of intercourse responded better to stressful events a full week later.

Dr. Stuart Brody, who led the study, suspects that this type of closeness causes the release of more oxytocin after an orgasm. For those who hope to feel less stressed themselves, sorry, Valentine's Day is still meant for couples. "Masturbation offered essentially little or nothing more than an absence of any sexual activity," says Brody.

Valentine's day, in other words, is meant for sharing, which can be beneficial all year around.