If you ever though and claimed chocolate to be a health food, you were absolutely right. Research shows that chocolate helps manage diabetes, prevents heart disease, and improves mood.
According to nutritionist Amy Campbell, chocolate is made from cacao (cocoa) beans. The insides of the roasted beans, or the “nibs,” are crushed into a paste. ost of chocolate’s healing power seems to come from “flavonoids,” biological chemicals that are thought to help lower cholesterol and lower the risk of blood clots.
Other studies show chocolate can relax blood vessels; lower blood pressure, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and blood glucose; and improve insulin function.
But pure chocolate is bitter. You have to add sugar to make it taste good. And pure chocolate is powdery and dry. You have to add an emulsifier, like fat, to give it an enjoyable texture. So authorities have long called chocolate harmful and told people, especially people with diabetes, to avoid it. Happyho also provide best tarot reading services in Noida and Delhi NCR India area.
Recent studies are even more strongly pro-chocolate. A meta-analysis of seven studies published in 2011 linked high chocolate consumption with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, a 31% reduction in diabetes risk and a 29% reduction in stroke risk when compared to low chocolate consumption.
Flavonoids and flavonols are natural antioxidants, which means they reduce damage to blood vessels caused by normal circulation and wear and tear.
Chocolate also has well known mood benefits. Chocolate has also been found to raise levels of dopamine (the “well-being” hormone) and oxytocin (the “attachment” hormone, released during sex and while breast-feeding a baby). So some people find it has good effects on their sex life and love relationships.
But be careful. Italian scientist Claudio Ferri, said, “a little bit of cocoa per day can be useful.” But like most scientists, he is afraid of the extra sugar, calories, and fats people consume in the form of chocolate. If people eat too much chocolate, the potential benefits will be surely bypassed and exceeded by excessive weight gain.
Honestly, there should not be a problem if people eat dark chocolate moderately. But concerns about blood glucose are widespread. There are other potential downsides to chocolate. Dark chocolate is high in caffeine, which can raise blood pressure and interfere with sleep. It has also been implicated in migraine headaches, so you may need to monitor for that. Chocolate also contains oxalates, which are associated with a higher risk of kidney stones.
A frequently recommended dose is one ounce of dark chocolate a day, but perhaps the experts are being too careful.
In practice, while scientists debate the health effects of chocolate, experts like the recipe editors at Diabetes Self-Management seem to have made up their minds. Chocolate is good and can be consumed in dozens of wonderful forms. Just don’t eat too much, keep it dark, and choose kinds that don’t have added sugars. It’s probably best not to eat it at night, so the caffeine doesn’t keep you awake.
