Alert the church elders, scientists have revealed eating chocolate is good for you.
Eating chocolate moderately that is, ’cause too much of a good thing is of course, a bad thing. Except banter.
Yep, some bigwigs in a bunch of lab coats (presumably) found consuming up to three bars a month, cuts a person’s risk of heart failure by 13 per cent, compared with those who stay away from the stuff altogether.
Heart failure affects over 900,000 Brits and there’s currently no cure.
Researchers claim natural compounds found in cocoa, called flavonoids, help blood vessel health and reduce inflammation.
However, they also warn against overdoing it on the chocolate. For those who indulge daily, heart failure risk increases by 17 per cent.
Lead researcher, Dr Chayakrit Krittanawong, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, said as per The Sun:
Moderate dark chocolate consumption is good for health. However, chocolate may have high levels of saturated fats. Therefore, moderate consumption is recommended.
If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it’s actually quite nutritious. It contains a fair amount of soluble fibre and minerals.
Obviously 100 grams (3.5 ounces) is a pretty big amount and not something you should be consuming on the reg. Also, all these nutrients come with 600 calories and moderate amounts of sugar.
Thus, dark chocolate is best consumed in moderation. Just like most sweet things.
The fatty acid profile of cocoa and dark chocolate is also beneficial. The fats are mostly saturated and monounsaturated, with small amounts of polyunsaturated fat.
It also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, but is unlikely to keep you up at daft o’clock as the amount of caffeine is very small compared to coffee.
Healthline writes:
Dark chocolate may also improve the function of your brain. One study of healthy volunteers showed, eating high-flavanol cocoa for five days improved blood flow to the brain.
Cocoa may also significantly improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. It may improve verbal fluency and several risk factors for disease, as well.
Additionally, cocoa contains stimulant substances like caffeine and theobromine, which may be a key reason why it can improve brain function in the short term.
Essentially folks, slot three chocolate bars down your gullet each month and it may do wonders for you in the long run. Have thirty-three and all bets are off, okay?
Don’t feel pressured or anything. You don’t have to eat chocolate. Overall it still is knackering your teeth and your constitution in other regards – no doubt.
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