Our favorite indulgence just became a super food.
Forget about an apple a day – have a square of chocolate.
Long considered a guilty pleasure, this mouth-watering treat is jockeying for position
as a super food alongside blueberries, green tea and wild salmon. Here’s a
closer look at the sweet science behind everyone’s favorite indulgence.
It’s full of antioxidants
Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, is rich in
flavones, plant nutrients that are powerful antioxidants known to fight cancer,
heart disease and ageing, and help control blood sugar levels. In fact, US food
scientists have discovered that cocoa contains a higher antioxidant
concentration than both red wine and green tea.
It’s good for your heart
The flavones in chocolate have been found to protect against
and possibly even reverse chronic inflammation, which affects cardiovascular
health as well as other age-related diseases. A recent Australian study
concluded that eating a piece of dark chocolate every day for 10 years may
reduce heart attacks and strokes in people with metabolic syndrome, thanks to
its antioxidant effects.
The flavones in
chocolate have been found to protect against and possibly even reverse chronic
inflammation, which affects cardiovascular health as well as other age-related
diseases.
Other research has shown that the flavones in cocoa can
lower blood pressure and improve blood flow – findings that led to the European
Commission’s recent approval for Swiss chocolate-maker Barry Callebaut to
feature a health claim on its products stating that 200mg of cocoa flavones
daily contributes to a healthy blood circulation.
It’s an sharpen your mind
Chocolate’s fabulous flavones are also credited with
enhancing cognitive function, memory and thinking skills by boosting blood flow
to the brain.
It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals
These include potassium, which helps regulate blood
pressure; copper, which promotes a healthy thyroid; calcium, for bone health;
magnesium, which aids calcium absorption in the body; and iron, which helps
oxygenate the blood and maintain healthy hair, skin and nails.
It makes us feel good
While generations of ads depicting women in various states
of chocolate-induced ecstasy are grossly exaggerated, there is solid scientific
evidence that the taste of chocolate ignites the brain’s pleasure response.
Acting like nature’s own antidepressant, cocoa contains phenethylamine, an
amino acid that prompts the release of feel good chemicals in our brains, such
as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin.
generations of ads
depicting women in various states of chocolate-induced ecstasy are grossly
exaggerated
It makes you more alert - and calms you down
Even the smell of chocolate can make you feel relaxed.
Studies have shown that it increases the theta waves in the brain, which take
us to that blissful state we reach just as we’re about to fall asleep.
Additionally, the Theo bromine in chocolate is the same natural stimulant in
tea that gives you that calm alertness, unlike the jitters you might get from
coffee.
It improves skin and protects teeth
Drinking flavone-rich cocoa does wonders for the complexion,
boosting hydration, improving blood flow to the dermis and protecting against
UV damage. The evidence that the Theo bromine in chocolate hardens tooth enamel
and strengthens teeth better than fluoride is so compelling that one US company
has launched Theodent, a Theo bromine toothpaste (and yes, it comes in a
chocolate flavor).
What you need to know
Most studies involve dark chocolate with at least 70 per
cent cocoa content, and some focus on raw cocoa alone. That’s part of the
reason why the jury’s still out on how much chocolate a day we should eat to
reap the benefits – and whether eating it daily is right for everyone.
It seems moderation, or about 85g, is the way to go. “The
research is not about having great quantities,” says nutritionist Aloysa
Hourigan. “Even high-quality dark chocolate contains sugar and saturated fat,
so we have to balance the pros and cons.”
It improves skin
and protects teeth
The Heart Foundation recommends raw cocoa powder over
chocolate as an antioxidant source, stressing that a balanced diet including
fruit and vegetables is the best way to obtain all the health benefits
antioxidants have to offer. Try sprinkling cocoa powder on your oatmeal, add it
to smoothies or stir it into warmed low-fat milk.
