The Health Benefits of Chocolate
Chocolate is made from tropical Theobroma cacao tree seeds. The earliest use of chocolate dates
back to the Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica. After the discovery of the Americas,
chocolate became very popular in Europe, and its demand exploded. Chocolate
has since become an incredibly popular food product that millions indulge in
everyday for its unique, rich, and sweet taste.
New research has emerged proving
that chocolate is good not only for the soul, but for your mind and body as well. Studies
have already established that chocolate contains a number of beneficial
ingredients. For instance, resveratrol,
an important compound in chocolate, may not only protect your brain and nervous
system, but actually prolong your life.
But
what effects does eating chocolate have on our health?
Despite
its bad reputation for causing weight gain, there are a number of health
benefits associated with this delicious treat.
1. High Pressure Mood Improver?
One of the most alluring effects of chocolate consumption is
its improvement in mood
. Your mood matters even more when you’re stressed. If you're one of these individuals who gets a nice mood boost whenever you sink your teeth into a bar of pure, unadulterated chocolate, it is not happenstance. There's actually a chemical reason called anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that temporarily blocks feelings of pain and depression.
. Your mood matters even more when you’re stressed. If you're one of these individuals who gets a nice mood boost whenever you sink your teeth into a bar of pure, unadulterated chocolate, it is not happenstance. There's actually a chemical reason called anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that temporarily blocks feelings of pain and depression.
It's a derivative of the Sanskrit word "bliss,"
and one of the great things about chocolate is that it not only produces this
compound, it also contains other chemicals that prolongs the "feel-good"
aspects of anandamide. But there's more to this brain chemical than just how it
makes us feel. As a scientist on the topic, Daniele Piomelli, from the
University of California, Irvine, put it:
"Anandamide is also synthesized in areas of the
brain that are important in memory and higher thought processes and in areas
that control movement. That implies that anandamide's function is not just to
produce bliss."
Anandamide has been compared to the sensation derived from
marijuana, but Piomelli says "We are talking about something much, much,
much, much milder than a high."6
There's also evidence that this compound has the ability to help
"sweeten" up your love life as well.
2. Chocolate makes you eat less?
One of my favorite effects of chocolate consumption is a
reduction in appetite. One study
quantified this by giving participants a 100 g serving of either milk or dark
chocolate two hours before being served an all-you-can-eat lunch. Ingestion
of dark chocolate was correlated with a 17% lower calorie intake at the
following meal, compared to the milk chocolate group. The new Bulletproof
Chocolate Bars are enriched with another appetite reducer, XCT Oil for a double
impact.
3.
Need a
Brain Boost? A Surge of Energy? Reach for Chocolate!
Natural stimulants in chocolate
produce a boost in both physical and brain energy, primarily from caffeine and
theobromine. But one clinical study involving 24 healthy female subjects showed
"synergistic" effects on cognition and mood, which incidentally
translated into improved blood pressure. Everyone knows chocolate contains
caffeine, a stimulant that can help heighten physical energy and alertness, but
studies also show that it can inhibit inflammation in the brain that causes
migraines.
Also regarding brain health, a Johns
Hopkins study found that dark chocolate may shield the brain from damage after
a stroke by increasing cellular signals. Mice that had ingested epicatechin,
a compound found in dark chocolate, suffered significantly less brain damage after undergoing induced
stroke than mice that had not been given this compound. What this means for
ischemic stroke victims (related to clot obstructions in the vessels supplying
blood to the brain, a condition known as antherosclerosis) is that the epicatechin in dark chocolate may actually
protect the brain.
Flavonols are the main flavonoids
found in cocoa and chocolate, as a British study found. A pilot study evaluated
the relationship between cerebral blood flow and a dose of flavanol-rich cocoa,
which showed a marked increase in the cerebral blood flow to gray matter.
4. Chocolate makes your skin glow…and may reduce sunburn?
Another cool thing chocolate does is help you maintain
healthy skin by modulating healthy blood flow. In one study, two groups of women consumed either a high
flavanol or low flavanol cocoa powder for a period of 12 weeks. While the low
flavanol group showed no change in markers of skin health, subjects in the high
flavanol group had on average 25% reduction in UV-induced erythema (sunburn)
after exposure to a solar simulator.
Additionally, the high flavanol group recorded increased
skin density and thickness, as well as better hydration and less transepidermal
water loss.
5.
Antioxidants
– The Not-So-Sweet Things Chocolate Has to Say About Free Radicals
One of the most compelling reasons
to make chocolate a part of your regular diet may be for the antioxidants it
provides.
Few foods, and certainly not dessert
foods, have as much therapeutic potential as this "candy" aisle
treat, as evidenced by a wide range of accumulating scientific research linking
its consumption to over 40 distinct health benefits.
While most of us have heard about
the importance of antioxidants, a primer might help, beginning with the
explanation that the formation of free radicals – atoms, ions and molecules
with unpaired electrons – in your cells can damage your DNA to the point that
your risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer are
elevated.
This is why the antioxidant
polyphenols in chocolate are so valuable, as they have the ability to stop free
radical mediated oxidation. This helps to decrease your risk of those and other
diseases by directly interfering with one of the major preventable causes of
chronic degenerative diseases.
A factoid from ACS's Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry indicates that naturally-occurring
polyphenols in cocoa, the fundamental component in chocolate, actually boost
levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol, while at the same time
reducing the atherogenicity of so-called "bad" variety – LDL – by
preventing its oxidation. Supporting evidence from the Cleveland Clinic study
noted:
"Antioxidants are believed to
help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by
normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental
contaminants, like cigarette smoke. If your body does not have enough
antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become
damaged by free radicals. For example, an increase in oxidation can cause
low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as 'bad' cholesterol, to form plaque
on the artery walls."
6.
Chocolate
is a prebiotic!
While many studies assume that it is the cacao polyphenols
acting directly to modulate biomarkers, it is most likely the case that at
least some of the effect is indirect, and works through interaction with our
gut microbiome. Research suggests that low
molecular weight cocoa flavanols such as epicatechin and catechin can be
absorbed directly into blood circulation,(unless you mix them with milk) but
this is not so for the larger polyphenols. In this case, microflora in the
colon work to break down high molecular weight polyphenols, so that the smaller
secondary metabolites may circulate throughout the body.
If gut bacteria are feeding on the larger cocoa polyphenols,
then it follows that the composition of the intestinal microbiome will be
altered. In fact, one study did discover a beneficial prebiotic effect of high
flavanol chocolate consumption. After a period of 4 weeks of consuming a high
flavanol cocoa powder, subjects had a significant increase in bifidobacterial
and lactobacilli populations, as well as significantly decreased clostridia
levels. This was accompanied by significantly decreased C-reactive protein
(which correlates to inflammation reduction in the body), which was associated
particularly with changes in lactobacilli.
7.
Cellular
Rejuvenation (Anti-Aging)
Last, but certainly not least, cacao can enhance
mitochondrial biogenesis, or, the creation of new mitochondria! If you’ve read about unfair Advantage, you know how important it is to have healthy
mitochondria, and more of them. It is the flavanol epicatechin in chocolate
which is responsible for mitogenesis. In one study, oral administration of epicatechin
to senile mice shifted numerous biomarkers towards those of young mice,
including sirtuin 1, a well-recognized regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. In
another mouse study, treatment with epicatechin improved exercise performance
by ~50% compared to controls, and enhanced muscle fatigue resistance by ~30%. The
epicatechin group also recorded significant increases in mitochondrial volume
in hindlimb and cardiac muscles.
Risks and precautions
But
remember that many chocolate brands are high in sugar, calories and unhealthy
saturated fats, so buyer beware. First, be sure that the chocolate you're
eating is dark chocolate. There is also a big
difference in chocolates' health effects, depending on how much you eat. As mentioned
in the Cleveland Clinic study:
"'...Be
careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marshmallow-nut-covered
dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option.' Be aware that milk chocolate does not have the same healthy
effect as unadulterated dark chocolate, because milk often
prevents absorption of polyphenols.
It's
also important to remember the word moderation.
There's a measured and tested amount of chocolate – 6.7 grams a day (or one
small square of chocolate two or three times a week) – that provides the best
health benefits. While it undoubtedly comes as a pleasant surprise that
chocolate is actually good for you, eating the right amount is crucial if you
want it to be a benefit and not a liability."
Chocolate
has a high calorie count, containing large amounts of sugar. Therefore, if you
are trying to slim down or maintain your weight, it may be a good idea to set a
limit on your chocolate consumption. The large amount of sugar in most
chocolates can also be a cause of tooth decay. In addition, there is research
suggesting that chocolate may cause poor bone structure and osteoporosis.
One
study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was
carried out to identify the relationship between chocolate consumption and bone
density in older women. The authors concluded that "older women who consume
chocolate daily had lower bone density and strength".
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