Bitter or milk, in the form of candy or bar, pure or filling. It's hard to find someone who does not like chocolate in some of its variations. And for a long time science has discovered that food, which has great influence on the body and mind.
Studies show that chocolate should be at least 70% cocoa to generate positive effects on the body. The secret are called flavonoids present in cocoa. These components have an anti-inflammatory effect, and regulating blood lipids and reduce cholesterol. They also retard aging and improve memory and mental performance.
Flavonoids have other beneficial features, says Angela Bechtold, of the German Society for Nutrition. They influence the immune system and have a positive effect on vascular walls, preventing them thicken. "The blood can flow better through the vessels," says the expert. The chocolate helps thus prevent atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
A study by the German Institute for Research in Food (dif) also highlights the beneficial effect of chocolate on the heart. Scientists have observed the habits of almost 20,000 adults for a minimum period of ten years.
Most of those who ate about 7.5 grams of chocolate per day had a lower blood pressure. Moreover, the chances of heart attack and risk of stroke in this group were 39% lower compared to those who ate fewer or no chocolate.
Chocolate improves mood?
Studies differ on the effects of chocolate on mood and happiness. However it is certain that this food provides the body with the amino acid tryptophan, essential to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood, sleep and appetite.
Chocolate is also linked to reward. Since childhood, people are given a piece of delicacy after doing something good. The resulting positive feeling that can be explained by the neurotransmitter dopamine, responsible for the reward system in the brain.
Despite the positive effects, nutritionists warn that chocolate too can do more harm than good, be it bitter, milk or white. That's because, like other types, dark chocolate also contains a lot of sugar and fat. One hundred grams of chocolate contains approximately 500 calories. So eating too much chocolate can make a person put on weight more easily, says Bechtold.
Conclusion: moderate amounts of chocolate can have positive effects on health, but only when it abdicates other high-calorie foods to maintain stable body weight. That is, the secret is in the balance.
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