Chocolate It offers unique slimming and longevity benefits, as well as antioxidants that can help prevent chronic disease, but it’s important to eat the “good” kind and only in ideal amounts.
Studies indicate that chocolate can not only sweeten life, but also help lengthen it. Chocolate it is not a recent invention; Its health benefits date back to ancient times, when the The Aztecs made a chocolate drink from the cacao bean..
Chocolate’s antioxidant content may explain some of its health-boosting potential. Phenols in cocoa can inhibit free radicals and help build immunity. From potentially longer life to a slimmer body, chocolate can be a smart and delicious natural intervention.
Chocolate as a treatment for obesity
A study from March 2021 investigated how to add 10 grams of cocoa-rich chocolate every day to the diet of postmenopausal women women would affect your body composition.
The six-month randomized trial divided subjects into two: the intervention group, who received 10 grams (g) of 99% cocoa chocolate daily as part of their regular diet, and the control group, who received no cocoa. The amount of chocolate received by the first group included 65.4 milligrams (mg) of polyphenols.
Measurement factors that involve body compositioncocoa was associated with a favorable decrease in body fat mass and body fat percentage (assessed on trunk, arms, and legs) in the intervention group, with an insignificant reduction in body mass index.
The researchers wrote: “The daily addition of 10 g of cocoa-rich chocolate to the usual diet of postmenopausal women reduces their body fat mass and body fat percentage without changing their weight.”
In a separate study, cocoa derivatives were analyzed in animal models for five weeks. The researchers found that the treatments significantly reduced body weight by 39 percent, systolic blood pressure by 27 percent, triglycerides by 55 percent, total cholesterol by 24 percent, low-density lipoproteins ( LDL) by 37 percent and the triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio by 54 percent. The cocoa derivatives improved the subjects’ metabolic function without causing side effects, the team noted.
Chocolate as a heart-healthy food
Flavonols, which are plant-derived polyphenolic compounds in cocoa, have been linked to better endothelial function and blood pressure in humans.
A study from March 2021 explores the effect of cocoa flavonol consumption on stress-induced changes in vascular function in humans.
The study recruited 30 healthy men to consume a cocoa drink 1.5 hours before an eight-minute mental stress task, assessing forearm blood flow, blood pressure, and cardiovascular activity before and after, both at rest and during stress.
In the results, cocoa increased forearm blood flow at rest and during stress, with similar effects on stress-induced cardiovascular and blood pressure responses in both situations. Key to the results are flavanols, which effectively counteract endothelial dysfunction and improve peripheral blood flow during stress, according to the authors.
But how much chocolate should lead to these benefits? A meta-analysis of 23 studies with 405,304 participants shows that the risk of cardiovascular diseases can be reduced with less than 100 g (about 3.5 ounces) of weekly consumption.
It is important to note that larger amounts can negate the benefits and cause adverse effects associated with high sugar intake.
Chocolate as a promoter of longevity
What about the relationship between eating chocolate and mortality? Research published in July 2021 examines this link in the US population, studying 91,891 participants aged 55 to 74 years.
The researchers assessed the subjects’ chocolate consumption through a food frequency questionnaire. With an average follow-up of 13.5 years, they documented 19,586 deaths from all causes.
The lowest risk of dying from all causes of mortality was seen with a chocolate intake of 0.7 servings per week and of cardiovascular events with 0.6 servings per week. The benefits were more pronounced in subjects who never smoked compared to current or former smokers.
While the exact causes of aging are still not clearly understood, research suggests that telomeres are connected to the aging process. A study found a strong correlation between the rate of telomere shortening and the lifespan of species such as humans.
Curiously, research published in 2020 found that adolescents who consumed two or more servings per week of chocolate candies have longer leukocyte telomeres compared with non-consumers, possibly due to its effect on the apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1)/HDL pathway.
In a 2008 studycocoa also demonstrated antioxidant, prooxidative and metal chelating properties in the common fruit fly.
When choosing to use chocolate For its weight loss and longevity benefits, it’s important to consume the right kind.
Dark and raw: The darker the better, as this means less sugar is added to the mix. Choose at least 70 percent cacao content, favoring raw cacao because more flavanols are preserved.
Organic: This helps you avoid residues of the herbicide glyphosate and other pesticides used in conventional agriculture.
Fair Trade: Cocoa crops are often unfairly traded and even associated with the use of child slaves.
Read more scientific studies on benefits of cocoa or chocolate and how this celebrated health food, in the right amounts and forms, can serve as a sweet strategy against disease and premature death at GreenMedInfo.com.
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