Chocolate, one of the most preferred snacks, has been at the center of research for years. The benefits of chocolate, which is often emphasized to make you happy, but which causes trouble with weight, have finally been proven by research.
A new research has been added this week to the research that has focused on chocolate for a long time, and the positive effects of dark chocolate on human health are listed one by one.
According to a study published this week, it was found that cocoa can lower blood pressure by making veins and arteries more tense, thanks to antioxidants, thus keeping the heart healthy.
Researchers from the University of Surrey recommended the consumption of dark chocolate, which is high in cocoa. Researchers listed the benefits of dark chocolate as follows:
PROTECTS THE HEART
According to research at the University of Surre; Dark chocolate can tighten blood vessels within hours while lowering blood pressure. This is due to flavanols (antioxidants found in cocoa), which keep blood vessel walls elastic and allow blood to flow more easily throughout the body.
Researchers studied 11 adults who consumed a cocoa pod for two weeks. According to the results; subjects had lower blood pressure and looser arteries on the days they took the flavanols.
The findings are based on results from a separate team of researchers in Portugal who found that eating dark chocolate every day reduces blood pressure in just one month, thanks to its health benefits.
The study, which focused on 30 young adults who ate 20g of milk or dark chocolate every day for a month, found that those who ate high-cacao chocolate had greater systolic blood pressure than those who ate low-cacao chocolate.
Scientists have previously found that dark chocolate can lower cholesterol. A team of US researchers asked 31 people to eat 50g of dark or white chocolate for 15 days. The scientists found that those who ate dark chocolate had lower blood sugar and bad blood lipids, which may have a significant effect in reducing their risk of cardiovascular disease.
RAISES THE FALLING ENERGY
Dark chocolate draws attention with its short-term benefits as well as its long-term effects. Dark chocolate stands out as a healthy snack with caffeine and theobromine it contains to increase the energy level, especially in the afternoon.
US researchers gave dark chocolate to more than 100 young adults by weight. For example, someone who weighed 60 kg was given 60 g of dark chocolate and then went through brain scans while taking part in thinking and memory tasks.
At the end of the study, it was seen that people who consumed dark chocolate were more mindful than those who consumed other snacks.
FEEL MORE HAPPY
Scientists say that eating just a few squares of dark chocolate a day makes people happier. Last year, a team of Korean scientists conducted research that proved that eating chocolate every day has positive effects on mood.
They studied nearly 50 people who ate 30 grams of 85 percent or 70 percent dark chocolate a day for three weeks, or none at all. According to the results of the psychological tests, it was seen that those who ate the chocolate with the highest amount of bitterness were the happiest.
It was also stated from the analysis of the stool samples of the volunteers that chocolate increased the microbial diversity in the gut, especially the gut bacteria Blautia, which is the mechanism behind the increase in mood. Gut bacteria produce hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate mental processes such as mood, memory and learning.
Another team at University College London shows that those who regularly eat dark chocolate are less likely to become depressed. In 2019, 13,000 people were asked about chocolate consumption and symptoms of depression. And those who reported eating dark chocolate were less likely to suffer from depressed mood. Another surprising finding in the studies was that there was no link between mood and eating white or milk chocolate.
IT ALSO POSITIVELY AFFECTS SEXUAL LIFE
It is also stated that chocolate acts as an aphrodisiac that increases sexual desire, as it is full of anandamide, which targets the same parts of the brain as drugs, and phenylethylamine, known as the love drug.
However, studies have currently produced conflicting results regarding the link between chocolate consumption and sexual habits.
A study by the University of California last year suggested that those who eat chocolate more often are less interested in sex. But a 2006 study of 163 women by a team at Vita-Salute San Raffaelle University in Italy found that those who ate more chocolate reported higher levels of sexual desire and pleasure.
Cocoa contains methylxanthines, which can make people more lethargic and reduce libido, while also having flavonoids that provide better erections.
Experts point out the benefits of dark chocolate, but say that it can bring unwanted calories if consumed too much.
