The most chocolatiers, who are a whole species of human beings, have a date marked in red on the calendar: September 13, the International Chocolate Day.
And why is this day celebrated?
Well, let’s go in parts. This festivity was born in 1995 in France as a tribute to the British writer and screenwriter Roald Dahlknown for his work , which has also been adapted to the big screen.
In addition, it was also a September 13 when he was born Milton S. Hershey (1857), founder of one of the largest chocolate manufacturing companies in the United States and the world.
Is chocolate healthy?
Despite what most people may think, chocolate has innumerable benefits for our health, and it has become so important that today it is present in most of the world’s diets.
And although it is true that chocolate is a very caloric food (100 grams of dark chocolate with 99% cocoa contains 520 calories), it is no less true that it provides important benefits:
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Increases antioxidant activity
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Lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
As explained Dr. Francisco J. Sánchez-Múñizfrom the Department of Nutrition and Bromatology of the Complutense University of Madrid, in a study published in the journal :
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“Since ancient times, healthy properties have been attributed to chocolate that have brought it closer to a therapeutic use than for food.”
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“And although there is no consensus on the optimal amount to consume, it can be suggested that the daily consumption of chocolate rich in cocoa (and polyphenols) is a good choice to reduce, at least partially, cardiovascular risk.”
antioxidant action
Cocoa has a great antioxidant capacity that protects our tissues from oxidative stress. And that is why its antioxidant power plays a fundamental role in reducing oxidative damage to cells.
For this reason, the research indicates that:
After daily consumption of milk chocolate containing 168 mg of flavanols, oxidative stress markers change favorably and achieve:
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A 12% decrease in the serum levels of malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation marker), important because in high numbers it is associated with complications in the form of acute pancreatitis
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An 11% reduction in lactate dehydrogenase activity, which when elevated may indicate that certain tissues in the body have suffered damage from disease or injury.
Help to lose weight
A, led by the Professor Marta Garaulet and the Dr. Frank A.J.L. Scheerfrom (United States), suggests that chocolate also has effects on metabolism depending on the time it is taken.
And as the main author of the research highlights:
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“Meal time is a synchronizer of internal clocks associated with obesity, so the starting hypothesis was that, depending on the time of ingestion, chocolate would have a different effect on appetite and other factors related to weight bodily”.
After analyzing a group of postmenopausal women for 14 days (alternating the consumption of chocolate in the morning or at night), a conclusion has been reached:
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If taken during the first hours of the day, blood glucose is reduced by 4.5% and abdominal circumference by 2%.
And as another of the researchers points out, Teresa Hernandez-Gonzalez:
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“All these effects of eating chocolate in the morning translate into a reduction in the waist, something that is striking, especially considering the high consumption of kilocalories represented by one hundred grams of chocolate a day.”
very nutritious
Chocolate is a food that provides phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E, zinc or manganese.
For example, consuming 100 grams of dark chocolate (the one that is recommended to be consumed, with a percentage of cocoa greater than 70%) covers a very important part of the daily amount of necessary minerals:
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20% iron.
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27% potassium.
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25% copper.
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13% calcium.
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33% magnesium.
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30% phosphorus.
Cholesterol
Another piece of research, published in , emphasizes that its daily consumption helps reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, which we all know as bad cholesterol.
Its intake is also associated with:
“A significant reduction in systolic blood pressure. Importantly, these benefits were seen without an adverse effect on body weight,” the researchers note.
However, the results of this study indicate that:
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Regular consumption of a serving of chocolate as part of a low-fat diet can significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Stimulating
Theobromine is a very unknown compound, very similar to theophylline and caffeine, and it is present in chocolate.
It is an alternative to caffeine or traditional theine, with a less harmful stimulating effect and, most importantly, with a longer action than if you consume coffee or tea.
But the biggest difference is that it does not produce any type of addiction, as it can happen with caffeine. Which makes it a healthier option and with the same effects.
However, for chocolate to bring us all the benefits, we have to opt for one that has a percentage of cocoa greater than 70%. And although it may be somewhat bitter, we can ‘educate’ our palate by gradually increasing the amount of cocoa it contains.
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