The benefits and harms of dark chocolate have been causing endless debate among doctors and nutritionists for many years, because for many this product has been a favorite treat since childhood. Some say that it can ruin teeth and increase weight. Others consider it a real medicine, while others simply enjoy the taste without thinking about anything. Let's try to figure out what is hidden behind the bright packaging of a dark chocolate bar and whether it is really so harmful.
The composition of dark chocolate is rich in vitamins and minerals that can have a positive effect on the body.
- Vitamin E first of all has a positive effect on the female body. It is able to maintain the natural beauty and youthfulness of the skin.
- Vitamin B helps function thyroid gland. In addition, it accompanies the production of red blood cells and has a positive effect on vision.
- Nicotinic acid cleanses and dilates blood vessels, eliminates the formation of cholesterol plaques.
- Magnesium improves memory, favorably affects the central nervous system.
- Iron acts as an anemia prevention.
- Theobromine improves biochemical processes and speeds up metabolism.
- Caffeine activates the breakdown of fats.
100 grams of chocolate contains 540 kcal. The ratio of fats / proteins / carbohydrates is 35.4 / 6.2 / 48.2.
Benefits for human health
The beneficial properties of dark chocolate for the body have been proven by more than one generation.
They mainly appear as follows:
- Being a natural antidepressant, chocolate can slow down the aging of the body.
- By eating a small piece of dark chocolate every day, you prevent heart attacks and strokes.
- The product improves blood flow.
- Satisfies hunger.
- It is the prevention of cholesterol plaques and, as a result, blood clots.
- Strengthens the vascular system.
- Increases immunity.
- Chocolate is a source of energy, helps to increase stamina.
- Helps to recover after intense physical exertion.
- Normalizes blood pressure.
- Has anti-inflammatory action.
- Soothes sore throats and also helps in the treatment of prolonged coughs.
- Contributes to the normalization of the psycho-emotional state.
- Helps improve memory and activates brain activity.
- Serves as a prevention of ulcerative processes.
Many doctors say that there are certain benefits of dark chocolate for women, and especially pregnant women. The product stops hair loss, strengthens nails. They say that if you regularly eat dark chocolate, you can give birth to a stress-resistant baby.
Dark chocolate for men is also useful. It works as an aphrodisiac and is able to increase potency.
Please note that the greater the percentage of cocoa beans in chocolate, the higher its benefits. A quality product contains 72% given ingredient, but at the same time its indicator should be at least 55%. The amount of cocoa butter should be about 30%.
Useful properties for diabetes
Unlike white and milk chocolate, black is approved for use in type 2 diabetes. The main thing is to know the measure and not overdo it with the quantity.
Useful properties are as follows:
- saturates the body with polyphenols;
- askorutin strengthens blood vessels, reduces their fragility;
- due to the use of dark chocolate in the body of a diabetic, lipoproteins are formed, which have a positive effect on cholesterol metabolism;
- the product lowers blood pressure;
- increases sensitivity to insulin;
- enriches with iron;
- contributes to the rapid saturation of the body due to the high percentage of protein;
- saturates the body with antioxidants, thanks to the flavonoids included in the composition.
Application in cooking
In cooking, dark chocolate can be used as an independent dessert. In addition, it can be used as additional ingredient to many dishes. Made with dark chocolate special sauces, and some of them can be added to sweet and savory dishes.
A bar of dark chocolate can serve as the basis for cream. And the product often serves original decoration various culinary masterpieces.
Use in cosmetology
Recently, cosmetic products, which include chocolate, are increasingly gaining market share.
- The salons offer various wellness programs based on creams and mousses with chocolate.
- Chocolate products are included in a comprehensive anti-aging program.
- Hot chocolate is added to the bathroom, used for massage procedures, masks and balms based on it are rubbed into the skin.
- Some salons offer a course of chocolate therapy, which is designed for the skin.
In addition to the healing effect, chocolate improves mood and overall well-being. As a result of therapy, the skin becomes velvety, sometimes pigmentation even disappears. Chocolate-based masks smooth wrinkles and promote the healing of minor wounds and eczema. And cocoa butter can fight dry skin.
Can you lose weight by eating dark chocolate?
Have you ever thought about the fact that dark chocolate can get rid of extra pounds?
To date, there is a chocolate diet with stringent requirements. The menu includes coffee without sugar, but with milk, still water and a bar of your favorite chocolate.
When experts talk about the usefulness of such delicious product like chocolate, they mean exactly its bitter variety. Such chocolate, made with high quality, includes natural cocoa butter and many other useful natural ingredients. In addition, dark chocolate does not harm the teeth and is allowed in many types of diets.
No doubt health benefits of chocolate female body
- apparently it is not without reason that the fair sex loves this delicacy so much.
The main thing health benefits of dark chocolate- Prevention of heart disease and cardiovascular disease vascular system. Scientists at Stockholm University conducted a study in which 1,000 women participated. The subjects consumed 45 grams of chocolate daily. As a result, the number of strokes they suffered from two to five times, while women who did not use this product or rarely used it were subject to cerebrovascular accident 7-8 times more often.
This effect is explained by the presence of a flavonoid in chocolate, which lowers blood pressure and improves blood condition. And antioxidants, which are rich in delicacy, prevent the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and oncological tumors due to the release of body cells from free radicals.
It is noticed that a considerable number of women increase their consumption of chocolate on certain days of the month. And this has its own explanation. The fact is that the microelements contained in the dark varieties of the product make it possible to avoid depressive states characteristic of the premenstrual period. These days, magnesium is very necessary and the delicacy perfectly compensates for its lack, which alleviates PMS. Also dark chocolate shown for girls during puberty and during pregnancy. Of course, it should be used within reason. To feel the benefits of the product, two or three slices per day are enough.
Dark chocolate is also known as a natural aphrodisiac, and here its importance is important both for the female part of the population and for the male.
It also lies in the fact that it helps protect the skin from aging under the influence of UV radiation. In addition, the cosmetic effect of this delicious product is known. Women are especially concerned about their appearance and the prolongation of youth and beauty, so they will certainly be interested in how chocolate treatments affect the skin. Chocolate face masks tone it up, refresh and rejuvenate, and chocolate wraps help restore skin elasticity and make it silky, driving away cellulite. Applying this sweet product as a hair mask, you can improve their growth, make them thicker, and also reduce the oiliness of the scalp.
Finally, the benefit of chocolate lies in the fact that it is an excellent antidepressant. It promotes the release of endorphins into the blood - hormones responsible for a good mood. Finnish scientists have found that women who love this delicacy give birth to happy children.
So, chocolate is very healthy. But we must remember that the lighter the variety, the less substances it contains that the body needs. As for white chocolate, it is completely devoid of the qualities that bitter chocolate has, so its consumption should be minimized. Also, one should not forget that chocolate should be consumed in moderation, so that there are no unpleasant consequences for the body.
There are so many myths associated with chocolate that to understand it real benefit or health hazard is difficult.
Chocolate is studied by scientists, adults love it, children love it.
Is this delicacy harmful or useful - a sweet greeting from the mysterious Maya who have long disappeared?
Chocolate: composition, calorie content, how to use
Modern chocolate bars have little in common with the chocolate that Americans and Europeans fell in love with after the triumphant return of Columbus and the conquest of the Americas. The Aztecs brewed "chocolatl" without sugar, thickening the drink with maize flour. They hardly enjoyed themselves, but they were cheerful, cheerful and healthy.
Long time in Europe (America too) chocolate was known as a drink, the recipe of which was kept in the strictest confidence. Medieval Spaniards, for example, without trial or investigation, cut off the heads of irresponsible citizens who dared to cook chocolate without a separate permit. Still would! State secret...
For a very long time, cocoa beans were so expensive that only royalty could afford a cup of the drink. By the end of the 19th century, a recipe for hard chocolate had been developed that brought down the sugar and cocoa markets. Since buy chocolate bar possible without problems.
Modern chocolate It is produced in three types: dark (or black), milky and white. Tiles differ both in color and in quality, that is, composition.
Dark chocolate contains:
Grated natural cocoa beans in powder form;
Cocoa butter;
Emulsifiers.
In dark chocolate maximum amount of valuable nutrients. The taste of the product is more bitter, rich, bright. The content of cocoa beans in the product is not less than 55 percent. It contains organic acids alimentary fiber, saturated fatty acid, starch.
The benefits of dark chocolate are explained by the content of B, E, PP vitamins, as well as minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron.
In milk chocolate part of the natural powder obtained from beans replaces powdered milk. Hence a more “pale” appearance, less bitter taste, a clear creamy tint. Solid components in the product should be at least 25 percent, in high-quality chocolate - up to fifty.
In white chocolate no cocoa powder at all. However, it is still impossible to deny him involvement in chocolate. After all, the product includes cocoa butter (at least 20 percent), milk powder or condensed milk (14 percent), milk fat (about four percent), sugar (55 percent).
The calorie content of chocolate, regardless of type, is approximately the same: 540-550 kcal per hundred grams. Lot? Certainly. But if we limit ourselves to 25-50 grams of goodies per day, for healthy person without an allergy to cocoa products, there will be no harm from chocolate, but there will be a lot of benefits.
Chocolate: what are the benefits for the body?
The benefits of chocolate are in cocoa beans. Therefore, bitter varieties of delicacies are certainly healthier than dairy ones. The beneficial properties of bitter chocolate, or dark chocolate, are colossal:
It contains antioxidant substances (procyanides, flavonoids, epicatechins). It is these natural substances that protect the body from free radicals, preventing the formation of oncological tumors;
Due high content polyphenols, caffeine, theobromine, the benefits of chocolate for the body are manifested in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases;
Reduces the risk of sudden strokes and heart attacks, as it effectively prevents thrombosis;
Reduces the risk of acquiring diabetes mellitus due to the normalization of the process of absorption of sugars;
Stabilizes blood pressure, normalizes the work of the heart muscles;
Increases the elasticity of blood vessels;
The health benefits of chocolate for people suffering from inflammatory diseases auto immune system, arthritis;
Stimulates the activity of the brain, improves the quality of intellectual work, improves memory, especially in old age;
It has a general strengthening effect due to the high content of the vitamin complex.
Many have heard that chocolate treats depression, and indeed it is. A piece of healthy delicacy contributes to the production of endorphins and serotonins - "happiness hormones" that really improve mood and alleviate depressive states. The benefits of chocolate for the body in this sense are undeniable.
And here is the popular opinion about the dangers of chocolate for teeth and gums nothing more than a myth. Allegedly sweet product destroys tooth enamel. In fact, the dark grade product contains a natural antiseptic that improves the condition of the oral mucosa, disinfects the gums, reduces the rate of tartar growth, and prevents caries.
The list of myths about the dangers of chocolate is replenished by two more unfounded claims..
1. Chocolate causes acne. In fact, rashes are a consequence of dysfunction of the hormonal system, a violation of the skin.
2. Chocolate causes allergies. By itself, chocolate rarely causes allergies, but it can really be strengthened.
The health benefits of chocolate also lie in the fact that it stimulates digestive processes and peristalsis of the intestine, prevents the formation of ulcers. A sufficient dose is 50 grams of the product per day.
By the way, the same amount is enough for to prevent the formation of cancer cells. The Japanese follow the rule of "50 grams" strictly: every day the inhabitants of the islands take their dose of sweet medicine. Cancer and ulcers are very rare diseases for them.
Chocolate: what is the harm to health?
In spite of undeniable benefit for health, chocolate can be harmful. First of all, due to the sugar content. Diabetics can not eat treats, alas..
You have to give up chocolate and overweight people. In any case, there is dairy and White chocolate they definitely can’t, but a slice of bitter from time to time will not bring special harm.
Due to the ability to increase allergies, you can not eat chocolate during an exacerbation of the disease and antihistamine treatment. When the symptoms pass, and the result of the treatment is fixed, you can sometimes indulge in chocolate, but only with the permission of the doctor.
But if a true allergy to cocoa beans or any component contained in a sweet bar is revealed, you will have to stop eating chocolate forever.
For pregnant and lactating mothers: the harm of chocolate
To eat or not to eat chocolate for a pregnant woman and a nursing mother? The question is difficult, even if it easily relates to its “interesting position” according to the principle “pregnancy is not a disease!”.
What do the doctors say?
The benefits of chocolate for the body of a pregnant woman are as follows:
Magnesium strengthens the nerves, increases immune defenses, relieves anxiety. It is also useful for the fetus, as it has positive influence on the formation of the brain;
Potassium normalizes blood pressure and metabolic processes;
Strengthen the body of the expectant mother and flavonoids;
Theobromine stimulates the heart;
Vitamins, macronutrients, necessary for the body of a woman in position, are in chocolate. Iron is useful for the formation of the body of the unborn baby.
Useful properties of chocolate are explained by its composition in the first place. Since chocolate reduces anxiety, it is unlikely that the newborn will disturb the mother with crying and tantrums. The kid will grow up calm.
Of course, we are talking about dark chocolate. His pregnant woman can eat a little.
On the other side, the harm of chocolate to the body of a pregnant woman can also be significant.
It is necessary to refuse the product for the duration of pregnancy if relatives are allergic to this product. Allergies are no joke.
The caffeine found in chocolate bars can damage the health of both mother and fetus. In addition, it can cause insomnia.
When eating a large amount of chocolate, there is a high probability of increasing heartburn, which affects almost all pregnant women.
The abuse of chocolate, including bitter, can reduce the intensity of the blood supply to the uterus and cause oxygen starvation of the fetus.
Low-quality chocolate in which cocoa butter is replaced by hydrogenated fats and vegetable oil, will not bring the body any benefit, only extra calories. Excess weight during pregnancy can complicate its course.
Give up chocolate in the second and third trimester when there is an intensive formation of the immune system of the unborn baby. It is highly likely that the child's immunity will be weakened, there will be problems with the intestines, skin rashes.
During breastfeeding it is better to stop eating chocolate, at least for two to three months after the birth of the baby. This will help avoid unnecessary bowel problems.
Chocolate for children: good or bad
Pediatricians do not recommend giving chocolate to babies until the age of three. Until this time, immunity is formed, and extra loads are useless. The content of nitrogen compounds in chocolate can disrupt the metabolic processes in the child's body.
By the age of three, the body is already sufficiently formed to gradually join the "adult" food. One hundred grams of real dark chocolate a week a child is able to master without harm to himself.
The benefits of chocolate for the child's body:
The presence of potassium and phosphorus has a beneficial effect on the nervous and cardiovascular system child's body, its formation and development;
Dark chocolate high quality is useful for bowel function;
The product improves mood, so a small dose of chocolate can calm a crybaby;
Chocolate is good for teeth, because cocoa butter, enveloping the teeth, prevents tooth decay.
However, the baby's body chocolate harm can inflict real:
Cause allergies, sometimes very serious (up to bronchospasm). Therefore, it is forbidden to give chocolate to babies with a history of allergies;
Sugar can cause obesity, disrupt the work of the pancreas, and this is a direct harm to chocolate;
Besides, a large number of sugar can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, heartburn due to increased production of gastric juice.
It is very important to observe some rules for the use of chocolate by young children. First, it is forbidden to give even a small amount of goodies on an empty stomach.
Secondly, children can only eat milk chocolate. Black is too saturated with theobromine, an alkaloid that can actually poison a child. Such poisoning is fraught with vomiting, disruption of the digestive tract, headache, nausea.
Chocolate: harm for losing weight
Milk and white chocolate will cause harm to weight loss due to the high content of sugar and fat. It is definitely impossible to eat such a product on a diet, because just a few slices of sweet fatty treats can negate a week or two of intense struggle with fat.
As for dark chocolate, you can still argue. The fact is that such a delicacy can dull the feeling of hunger and really reduce appetite. And this will allow you to more confidently control weight, reduce cravings for fast carbohydrates. Therefore, if a person seeks to maintain a figure in a normal state, then regardless of the calorie content of chocolate, a small amount of it is more likely to benefit.
Useful property chocolate for weight loss can be called its ability to quickly satisfy hunger and give the body a lot of energy. The presence of potassium and magnesium makes the product useful even with excess weight.
The harm of chocolate for weight loss is the accumulation of excess carbohydrates in the form of fat. Milk and white chocolate are the most dangerous in this sense. But black chocolate bars, despite the high calorie content of chocolate, in reasonable sizes (no more than 25 grams per day), on the contrary, contribute to weight loss due to phenols and caffeine, which have fat-burning properties.
Whether chocolate is good or bad depends on the state of the body. Used in moderation, it will only benefit a healthy person.
Shock o fret is pr o launch in new world. world, nap o full of happiness, smile a mi and rainbow cr a scam. World, in a cat o rum everything is possible!
J o Vanni Jak o mo Kazan o va.
We all love sweets very much, because they so skillfully turn any of our bad moods into an oasis of warmth and comfort. Of all the varieties of sweets, chocolate is most in demand, most often milk or stuffed, but the benefits of dark chocolate are still underestimated. It's time to reveal the sweet secrets of a marvelous product so that no one has any doubts about how useful "black" chocolate paradise is for the body.
Healing properties of dark dark chocolate
What has mass healing properties known for a long time. However, what effect it has on the body is still a mystery to many. It should be noted that "bitter sweetness" contains a maximum of useful substances that can protect a person from many diseases, as well as give the body health, beauty and joy.
The composition of dark chocolate includes such medicinal substances as:
- stearic acid;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- flavonoids;
- magnesium;
- fluorine;
- phenols;
- phosphates, etc.
Such a rich variety of natural ingredients turns ordinary chocolate into a panacea for many physical and psychological ailments. So, what is dark bitter chocolate good for?
- It's no secret that it is an excellent antidepressant. And the thing is that, having eaten even a small slice of "black" delicacy, the benefits for the brain are provided. A kind of “signal” enters the center directly responsible for pleasure, and the desired hormones of happiness begin to be produced in the body. Accordingly, a person's mood rises, vitality, he feels light and inspired.
- A piece of sweetness eaten daily can slow down natural process aging, which means that the skin will be elastic and youthful longer.
- Dark chocolate prevents the development of cancer, diabetes, peptic ulcer.
- A daily portion of useful "sweet bitterness" strengthens blood vessels, and also serves as a preventive measure for diseases of the cardiovascular system, thereby preventing blood clots from forming in the body.
- Thanks to the cocoa beans contained in the chocolate bar, the delicacy can improve the functioning of all parts of the brain. Due to the fact that the vessels expand - blood and oxygen enter the necessary parts of the brain faster, respectively, we become more concentrated, our memory and attention improve.
- Chocolate also helps to normalize blood cholesterol levels and normalize blood pressure.
All of the above properties are far from all the benefits of dark chocolate. Delicacy has an invaluable set medicinal qualities, which allows it to be considered a real gift of nature.
However, after reading about the all-healing possibilities of the “black” product, many may think that you can eat chocolate as much as your heart desires. But this is not so at all.
For a delicacy to truly become a panacea, it must be consumed in certain quantities. The correct portion for every day is 25-50 gr. This is exactly the amount of chocolate that will bring maximum benefit our soul and body.
Bitter chocolate for women: the secrets of "black" joy
Dark chocolate is not just pastry, is a masterpiece created by human hands to give others happiness and enjoyment. Perhaps that is why the fair sex loves chocolate so much, because they are much more sensitive and sophisticated than men.
However, for men, dark chocolate can also provide an invaluable service - such a delicacy is an excellent aphrodisiac. Representatives of the stronger sex after eating a piece of "black gold" can feel a surge of passion, physical strength, as well as an increase in libido. No wonder chocolate is considered the “talisman of love”.
Reducing excess weight
What else is dark chocolate good for women? The benefit lies in the ability of a woman to throw off excess weight and get rid of cellulite.
If the goal is to lose extra pounds, then it is better to purchase a chocolate bar containing more than 60% cocoa beans. After all, it is in chocolate with such content that there are active substances that affect the hormonal background and metabolism in general.
Often, it is these reasons that provoke the appearance of excess body weight. If you eat chocolate treats daily in moderation, then the weight will gradually go away.
chocolate diet
However, there is another option for losing weight with chocolate, but it is not suitable for everyone. This is about chocolate diet where the properties of dark chocolate are used. This is a fairly strict diet and it is not recommended to stick to it for more than 5-7 days.
The essence of the diet is as follows: during the day you need to eat no more than 80 grams. chocolate (preferably black and natural) and drink coffee without sugar, and do not eat anything else. Coffee should be drunk no earlier than 3 hours after eating chocolate. For a week of such a diet, you can lose up to 7 kg.
You can get rid of cellulite with the help of chocolate wraps. Such a sweet procedure will give the skin silkiness, elasticity and smoothness.
By consuming a natural sweet product every day, you can see that the benefits of dark chocolate are not only great, but invaluable! Using it all wisely medicinal and nutritional properties, you can find a faithful assistant in your life who will not leave you either in sickness or in health.
Love is bitter chocolate!
Olga Muravieva
