EBN- When we talk about the benefits of chocolate, we mean dark chocolate; dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa, and is less sweet than milk chocolate and white chocolate.
Chocolate is rich in powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols, which fight the various effects of aging and cognitive decline.
Dark chocolate also offers many physical and psychological benefits that make it excellent for the health of the body.
What are the benefits of chocolate on physical health?
Dark chocolate is rich in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc and selenium.
It is useful for protecting against cognitive decline. It is also very beneficial for heart health ; it helps lower blood pressure and reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the body LDL, thus preventing cardiovascular diseases and the risk of stroke .
In addition to its important benefits for brain health; as regular consumption of dark chocolate enhances neurotransmitters. This is what the results of a scientific study conducted on mice concluded; it was found that eating dark chocolate enhanced neurotransmitters and had positive effects on the brain.
Without forgetting the wonderful importance of dark chocolate for skin health; as it fights the effects of premature aging.
What about the benefits of dark chocolate on mental health?
As for the benefits of dark chocolate on mental health, we mention that it contributes to: the secretion of the hormone endorphin, which works to calm the body and improve the general mood of the individual, and relieves depression.
It is also rich in tryptophan, which enhances the secretion of the happiness hormone, thus working to reduce stress and anxiety, fight depression , and promote sleep thanks to its ability to provide relaxation.
What types of chocolate should you choose to reap the benefits I mentioned above?
Healthy types are raw dark chocolate, which is considered one of the best types of chocolate. In addition to dark chocolate with added nuts and dried fruits. Dark chocolate sweetened with natural sugars such as: carob molasses, honey and other natural sweeteners, is also considered healthy.
As for the types of chocolate that contain milk and sugar in their composition or manufacture, they are considered unhealthy because they contain palm oil, which consists of 50% triglycerides, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
What is the recommended amount of chocolate per day?
We recommend eating 25 grams of dark chocolate per day, which is equivalent to a quarter of an average bar per day. Without forgetting that adhering to this amount is what gives chocolate eaters the health benefits of this delicious product, because eating too much of it can lead to weight gain.
Is there a relationship between eating chocolate and weight?
Of course, the relationship is strong; although chocolate is beneficial, exceeding the permissible amount that I mentioned earlier will expose people to weight gain. Therefore, we stress the need to raise awareness about this issue from an early age. Especially since children eating a lot of chocolate will lead to weight gain, and this excess weight during the growth stage may lead to the accumulation of fat cells in their bodies, and increases the likelihood of obesity in youth and later stages. It is worth noting that obesity is a cause of a large number of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, and others.
I emphasize that the relationship between chocolate and weight is interconnected; dark chocolate is rich in fat (about 45 grams of fat per 100 grams of 85% cocoa chocolate). However, cocoa butter mainly contains fatty acid. The latter, unlike other saturated fatty acids, does not increase bad cholesterol levels.
This does not mean that we can eat as much dark chocolate as we want; The amount consumed is what always determines whether we will gain weight or not as a result of eating chocolate. Hence, we, as nutritionists, recommend eating 25 grams of chocolate as a snack. It should be noted that eating chocolate when hungry has an adverse effect on the body.
