Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure , decrease oxidation of the ‘ bad ’ LDL-cholesterol , improve blood flow , and improve the action of insulin . Longer-term , there is some evidence that people who are regular eaters of cocoacontaining foods have lower rates of cardiovascular disease . Yes , chocolate can be healthy for you in the right amounts .
How much chocolate is healthy ?
A healthy serving of dark chocolate is considered to be 25 grams two to three times a week . For heart-health benefits from eating dark chocolate , even one square of chocolate a day can give some benefit . With chocolate , the best advice is to always go for quality over quantity and include some dark chocolate for variety . But not all dark chocolate is equal . The benefits come from the cocoa , and many ‘ dark ’ chocolates don ’ t contain enough flavanols to give you any real effect . To get the health benefits of chocolate , stick to bitter , darker varieties , with at least 70 per cent cocoa .
Exercise
Apart from benefiting the heart , could chocolate have additional health benefits ? Far from being just an antioxidant , flavanols can improve blood flow , reduce oxygen needs , improve insulin sensitivity and our immune response . The potential benefits from flavanols tick many of the boxes that athletes are looking for in improving performance .
There has only been a limited amount of research looking at exercise performance in a healthy , sporty population . However , one small study of nine moderately-trained males compared the effect of dark chocolate versus white chocolate on athletic performance . It found that dark chocolate consumption improved time trial performance and ( although not statistically significant ) showed trends for better heart rate and blood pressure measurements .
Your brain on chocolate
Chocolate can play a role in relation to the brain . The chemicals found in chocolate promote the release of the feel-good hormone serotonin – which may be one reason to explain its desirability .
Apart from stimulating our ‘ feel good ’ hormones , a recent study has shown that people eating a high polyphenol diet , including 50 grams of 70 % dark chocolate each day for four weeks , showed fewer symptoms of depression and improved mental health , compared to when they weren ’ t eating the chocolate .
There is a lot of interest into how flavanols can help the brain work . Declining brain function ( which is termed cognitive impairment ) is probably the most concerning health problem facing an ageing population . Boosting flavanol consumption by eating dark chocolate could be a tasty and effective way of managing cognitive decline with age .
Dogs may be man ’ s best friend , but chocolate is not !
Chocolate contains the natural chemical theobromine which is a stimulant found in the cocoa bean . Theobromine ( along with the caffeine ) increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle . Theobromine poses no real health issues for humans , but it ’ s potentially poisonous to dogs . So , keep your chocolate stash away from your dog !
Final thoughts
Most people enjoy chocolate and it certainly can be a part of anyone ’ s diet . However , whilst true health benefits likely only lie in the dark chocolate ( with at least 70 % cocoa content ), antioxidants in dark chocolate can equally be found in fruit , vegetables and tea . So think of dark chocolate as something to add to a healthy diet , not a cure-all against poor dietary habits .
YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE 7