Study shows eating some chocolate may actually be good for you

Research shows chocolate and its impact on our health. (representative)

Bristol:

While it always makes me laugh a bit when I see Easter eggs first appearing in supermarkets at the end of December, there are few people who wouldn’t be happy to receive a little chocolate every year.

It makes sense that too much chocolate is bad for you since most products are high in fat and sugar. But what should we make of the common claim that eating chocolate is actually good for you?

Happily, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that, under the right circumstances, chocolate may be good for both your heart and your mental state.

In fact, chocolate—or more specifically cocoa, the unrefined green bean—is a medicinal wonder. It contains many different active compounds that can produce pharmacological effects in the body, such as drugs or medications.

Compounds that cause neurological effects in the brain must be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that prevents harmful substances, such as toxins and bacteria, from entering delicate neural tissue.

One of these is the compound theobromine, which is also present in tea and contributes to its bitter taste. Tea and chocolate also contain caffeine, and theobromine is part of the purine family of chemicals.

These chemicals and others are responsible for chocolate’s addictive properties. They can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the nervous system. Therefore, they are called psychoactive chemicals.

What effect does chocolate have on mood? Well, there was a systematic review of a set of studies that examined the feelings and emotions associated with eating chocolate. Most people experience improvements in mood, anxiety, energy, and arousal.

Some people notice feelings of guilt, which is perhaps what we all feel after drinking too much milk.

health benefits of cocoa

In addition to the brain, there are other organs that may benefit from cocoa’s medicinal effects. Chocolate has been used for centuries as a remedy for a variety of ailments, including anemia, tuberculosis, gout, and even low libido.

These may be false claims, but there is evidence that eating cocoa has a positive impact on the cardiovascular system. First, it prevents endothelial dysfunction. During this process, the arteries harden and fill with fatty plaque, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Eating dark chocolate can also lower blood pressure (another risk factor for developing arterial disease) and prevent the formation of blood vessel-blocking clots.

Some research suggests that dark chocolate may help regulate the ratio of HDL cholesterol, which may help protect your heart.

Others have studied insulin resistance, a phenomenon associated with type 2 diabetes and weight gain. They believe that polyphenols (compounds found in plants) found in foods such as chocolate may also help improve blood sugar control.

Chocolate toxicity

While chocolate may be considered medicine to some, it can be poison to others.

There is good evidence that caffeine and theobromine are highly toxic to livestock when ingested. Dogs are particularly susceptible due to their typically voracious appetites and generally unfussy nature.

The culprit is often dark chocolate, which can trigger symptoms of agitation, muscle stiffness and even seizures. In some cases, if enough is ingested, it can cause coma and abnormal or even fatal heart rhythms.

Some compounds found in chocolate have also been found to have potentially negative effects in humans. Chocolate is a source of oxalates, which along with calcium are one of the main components of kidney stones.

Some clinical groups recommend that people with recurrent kidney stones avoid oxalate-rich foods, such as spinach and rhubarb, as well as chocolate.

So what does all this mean for our chocolate consumption habits? Science points toward chocolate with as high a cocoa solids content as possible and a minimum of add-ons. The potential harmful effects of chocolate have more to do with fat and sugar and may negate any possible benefits.

A daily intake of 20 to 30 grams of pure or dark chocolate with more than 70 percent cocoa solids (as opposed to milk chocolate with less solids and white chocolate with no solids) may result in greater health benefits benefits and leads to a higher sense of well-being. .

But whatever chocolate you choose, don’t share it with your dog.

(author:Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol)

(Disclosure statement:Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant relationships beyond his academic appointment)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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