You Are Wrong About Chocolate…
I have to
make a confession. I am a chocoholic! I promise that this article will be as
balanced as possible but if there is some bias, I am sure you will forgive me.
The Aztecs
and the Mayan people of Central America highly valued the cacao plant and its
seeds. It seems that the Nahuatl language had the word ‘xocolatl’ for a cocoa
drink which means ‘bitter water’.
Interesting
also to look at who eats the most chocolate globally. The
Germans are top of the list as their annual per capita consumption is a
whopping 11.39 kg (25.11 lbs) while the US consumption is less than half of
that at 5.09 kg (11.22 lbs).
There are
lots of myths about chocolate and we were all told that chocolate could make
you obese, give you acne, toothache and headaches, not to mention insomnia!
It’s time
to debunk some of these myths and get the facts right. You will be pleasantly
surprised.
1.
Chocolate will keep you awake
The people
who spout this myth are trying to tell you that chocolate contains loads of
caffeine and that is going to give you a sleepless night! This is false, as the
actual amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is about the same as that of a cup
of decaffeinated coffee. The cocoa bean contains only about 0.5% caffeine while dry coffee beans have 1.2% caffeine.
2.
Chocolate makes kids bounce off the walls
This is an
interesting myth, because the fact is that parents were expecting their kids to
be hyper after a sugar or chocolate fix and so they were, according to them.
The reality was quite different as the BBC discovered. There is no firm evidence to show that too many sweet
things will make the kids bounce off the walls.
3. Chocolate
could give you a stroke
Recent
studies have turned this on top of its head. Provided you eat moderate amounts
of dark chocolate (74% of cocoa solids), you could cut the risk of stroke by
22%. Those people who did get a stroke (not from eating chocolate!) were 45%
less likely to die if they had consumed moderate amounts of chocolate on
a regular basis.
4.
Chocolate will give you acne
Teenagers
are usually told this but there is no scientific evidence at all that this is
the case. If there is too much sebum, then this could block pores and lead to
acne. But all the studies done so far have debunked this theory and there is
simply not enough evidence to support it. There were 21 studies done and
not one of them was able to point the finger at chocolate although dairy
products did not do too well. Just have some dark chocolate instead of milk
chocolate!
5.
Chocolate will give you cavities
They say
this because chocolate has a high sugar content, although you can sidestep that
issue by going for dark chocolate instead of white or milk chocolate which are
usually sweeter. But the great thing about chocolate is that it melts quickly
in the mouth, so that there is not much time for bacteria to form which might
cause cavities. Actually, the cocoa butter acts as a sort of protective barrier
which also prevents the bacteria getting the upper hand. Fluoride is also one element in
chocolate and that is also useful in protecting teeth, as we know.
6.
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac
Lots of
old wives’ tales about the power of chocolate as a sexual stimulant but there
is no scientific evidence to back it up at all. Casanova is thought to have
been a great fan of chocolate but studies have not shown that chocolate can
affect your libido or sexual prowess in any way.
7.
Chocolate will not affect your mood in any way
Your good
mood depends on the serotonin chemical, which works as a neurotransmitter,
which can help boost your mood and avoid mood swings. This may be a problem for women going through the menopause. Now,
chocolate can help because it contains tryptophan which can stimulate the
production of serotonin, so the positive effects on mood are notable.
8.
Chocolate will make you fat
Yes, it
will, if you eat lots and lots of it! But in moderation, chocolate can help you
in many ways. For example, did you know that a single portion of 70% chocolate
can give you the same amount of protein that you would get from a cup of
broccoli? It also can give you fiber and also some of the healthy fats in the
cocoa butter. All this means that you feel full and you are not subject to so
many cravings.
Chocolate
also has polyphenols together with tryptophan which can improve your mood. It
also makes you feel less stressed out and that can make the whole weight loss
adventure more relaxed. In addition, chocolate contains epicatechin which boosts the metabolism, which will help you to burn off calories.
9.
Chocolate can be bad for your cholesterol
Not true
at all. Some fatty acids are good for you, others are not. Let us have a look
at which fats are in chocolate. Most of it comes from the cocoa butter. There
are three different types. One is oleic acid which is also found in olive oil
and is actually great for your heart . The other one is palmitic acid (about
33%) which can increase the bad cholesterol (LDL) and clog up arteries. The
good news though is that main fatty acid in chocolate is stearic acid and
it seems to have a neutral effect on cholesterol, and does not have any effect
on the LDL or HDL levels. So, having chocolate in moderate quantities is not
going to affect your cholesterol one way or the other. Did you know that a serving
of unsweetened cocoa has 0 grams of saturated fat?
10.
Chocolate could give you a heart attack
Another
myth still doing the rounds! But guess what studies carried out by Harvard
University School of Public Health showed? They looked at 136 studies on
chocolate and its effects on cardiovascular health. All these studies seem to
suggest that there is a lower risk of heart disease when
chocolate is part of your diet, again in moderate quantities. They found that
it lowered blood pressure and also had an anti inflammatory function, both
important for a healthy heart.
11.
Chocolate can become an addiction
Don’t
worry – my chocolate habit is under control! But many people are convinced that
you can become addicted to it. This would be true if you started eating several
bars a day and also which type you were hooked on.
The fact
is the addictive elements, such as theobromine and cannabinoids, are present in
chocolate but in very small quantities. In order to become addicted you would
have to eat up to 17 ozs of it every day for quite a while!
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/you-are-wrong-about-chocolate.html?ref=mail&mtype=daily_newsletter&mid=20170213_customized_editor_pick&uid=687414&hash=707e797f7e757e6d794c856d747b7b3a6f7b79&action=click
No comments:
Post a Comment