All throughout your life you have probably had someone telling you about how bad chocolate is for you and how it is not healthy. You must have heard how it makes you gain weight, get acne, increase blood sugar thus increasing the possibility of diabetes and other diseases and so on and so forth.
This is why I have decided to do a little bit more research about this topic and discover if all these allegations are factually true or is chocolate being unjustly accused.
As it turns out, eating chocolate can be either good or bad, but this certainly depends on the type of chocolate you are eating, the amount of sugar and fat it has, as well as the quantity and frequency of consumption.
Realising that with chocolate’s bad reputation, not many people know about how beneficial it can be for your health, if taken in moderation of course.
Therefore, I would like to focus in this article on the benefits of eating chocolate which is all backed by proper research from different sources.
Chocolate is believed to contain high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures.
A research published in The BMJ which is a medical journal based in London, suggests that consuming chocolate could help lower the risk of developing heart disease by one-third.
Other studies published in The Journal of Nutrition, have suggested chocolate could lower cholesterol levels, prevent memory decline, as well as reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems. This study suggests: “Regular consumption of chocolate bars containing PS (plant sterols) and CF (cocoa flavanols), as part of a low-fat diet, may support cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and improving blood pressure.”
As for mental health, scientists at Harvard Medical School have suggested that older people who drink two cups of hot chocolate a day could in fact be helping keep their brains healthy by doing so and reduce their memory decline. The scientists found that hot chocolate helped improve blood flow to parts of the brain where it was needed.
Furthermore, results of a lab experiment published in 2014, indicated that a cocoa extract called lavado might reduce or prevent damage to nerve pathways found in patients with Alzheimer disease. This extract could help slow down the symptoms.
Another study published in 2016 in the journal Appetite, suggests that eating chocolate at least once weekly could improve cognitive function.
Also, a study presented at the 2016 Pregnancy Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Atlanta, GA showed us that eating 30g of chocolate every day during pregnancy might actually benefit fetal growth and development.
Yet another source, The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, suggested that a little dark chocolate might in fact boost oxygen availability during fitness training.
I, for one, certainly did not need that much research and studies to convince me about the benefits of chocolate. It makes me happy and this is enough of a reason for me to eat it, in moderation of course.
But to be more scientific about it, one should always check the label on the chocolates. The higher the cocoa content, the darker the chocolate and the higher the benefits. Also, dark chocolate probably contains less fat and sugar which means you may be able to have some, even if you are watching your weight.
In conclusion, chocolate is not necessarily bad for us like we have always been told. In fact, when consumed in moderation, and I cannot stress enough on this point, it can be good for our mental and physical health.