The main things you need to know about chocolate

Today is World Chocolate Day.

Chocolate is so familiar and accessible in our lives that some people may think it is grown somewhere in the neighbouring region, or not far from the nearest supermarket.

Putting aside everything related to the chocolate business, starting with the harvesting of cocoa beans on plantations, where child labour is often used, let's see if we should buy chocolate, and if so, what kind of chocolate, how much of it to eat, and whether we should eat the same amount or not?

To do this, this morning we recorded a "concentrated" interview with Ukrainian Radio (link below), where we shed some light on dark chocolate. And we showed in a darkened light the "chocolate", which, in fact, has only one name.

It is this chocolate that is healthy. This is chocolate with 85% or more cocoa beans.

It is not called bitter for nothing. I would also add that it's also a bitter chocolate.

If you look for unbiased information, even in scientific sources, there is not much of it, because most of the scientific research was conducted with the support of chocolate giants, so the conclusions are all good and super healthy.

THE BENEFITS OF 82-100% CHOCOLATE.

Anything below 82% is not taken into account, because it contains a lot of sugar and fat (more on this below).

The first place goes to the content of antioxidant polyphenols (the molecules that make chocolate brown). These polyphenols neutralise excessive amounts of free radicals that damage cells and cell contents.

This way, the body remains in a better functional state, all its systems and organs work better, and it is less prone to failures and disorders.

Polyphenols act as prebiotics, which means they nourish the beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines. This means that food is better digested and absorbed, more vitamins are synthesised, the brain and blood vessels work better, and there is a lower risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer.

Polyphenols enhance the growth of neurons and blood vessels, improving memory. Positive effects are accompanied by an increase in cerebral blood flow or oxygenation of cerebral blood. Young people have been shown to have better cognitive abilities after regular intake of cocoa flavanols.

Protect the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight (protection against photoaging).

NOT CHOCOLATE ALONE:

In addition to dark chocolate, polyphenols are also found in berries (mulberries, chokecherries, elderberries, blueberries), apple peel, grapes, citrus fruits, cocoa, green tea, onions, hot peppers, cabbage, broccoli and spinach.

Other effects of chocolate:

It can be a trigger for migraine headaches in 2%-22% of patients, but is not a trigger for others.

BUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH CHOCOLATE?

If you don't move much, have a tendency to gain weight and like to eat sweet chocolate with fillings (raisins, nougat, "yoghurt", cookies, waffles, nuts, etc.) every day - if it's not an odd square, you have a good chance of gaining weight.

This also includes dairy and white (white does not contain cocoa beans at all, only cocoa butter, and not always if it is a chocolate bar).

The combination of saturated fat and sugar contributes to insulin resistance, so to avoid this, choose either dark chocolate or at least half an hour of brisk walking after sweet chocolate, walking, movement activates insulin receptors on the surface of cells.

If you have even minor "diffuse changes" on the ultrasound, and especially if you have elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver enzymes, eat only 85-100% chocolate and combine it with berries - this way you will get more polyphenols, fibre and eat less chocolate.

The same advice applies to those with gout.

In general, there are no forbidden foods, only ignorance and superficial ideas.

In the end, if you want to feel the taste of sweet chocolate at least sometimes, then sometimes (rarely) you can do this:)

Spread the word, eat the berries and remember that life is like chocolate - it can be bitter and sweet at the same time.

But bitter chocolate makes it possible to feel the sweetness of life longer.