Chocolate makes people the happiest and has health benefits. Chocolate has been studied and confirmed to have good mental and health benefits to people but how?
Chocolate has many ingredients that are said to boost health. The main ingredient of chocolate is cocoa is said to have a “mood-enhancing effect”. The main thing in chocolate that makes our brain create serotonin is cocoa which contains tryptophan which the body will use. Scientists found that dark chocolate can reduce bad cholesterol levels, reduce strokes, and heart disease risks. Dark chocolate also has been proven to help 70% of people with depressive symptoms than those who ate no chocolate at all. There is one catch among this chocolate benefit, You have to enjoy the chocolate for the mood-enhancing effect to work, but depression can make people disinterested in eating chocolate.
It is also proven that dark chocolate contains more tryptophan than milk chocolate, this is because dark chocolate is richer in cocoa than milk chocolate that contains more sugar, milk, and plenty of other add-ins that make it sweeter and creamer and overall more enjoyable to most people, Dark chocolate contains 70% to 80% cocoa, while milk chocolate contains 7% rarely 38-40% which is considered a high percentage of cocoa for milk chocolate. The cocoa and sugar in chocolate are what make the body produce serotonin, though the more cocoa the better.
Chocolate can improve memory and reduce stress. The human body associates chocolate with happy memories. The reason that chocolate brings happy memories is that our brain associates chocolate with holidays and rewards from our childhood. A study from Loma Linda university health in California as long as health professionals found that“ The consumption of antioxidants can change your brain frequency — a beneficial brain frequency called gamma,” and “The gamma frequency is up-regulated, enhanced, turned on by the chocolate antioxidants” Dark chocolate’s memory and stress improvements usually take within half an hour, but these can last up to two hours, one hitting the two-hour mark the chocolate serotonin will have ran out.
Dark chocolate is considered a superfood because it works with your brain’s chemistry to help memory, reduce stress, create serotonin, and is packed with antioxidants. 71 % of Americans prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate because milk chocolate is more sugar and milk than anything else which makes it sweeter and creamy while dark chocolate is richer in cocoa than anything else and has very little sugar which causes it to be bitter and chalky. Dark chocolate when not completely loaded with sugar and other add-ins is pretty healthy, it is rich in antioxidants that can fight diseases, can help reduce blood pressure, and lower heart disease risks. According to studies, most people who prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate are weaker to bitter flavors than people who eat a lot of sugar, junk food, or any food that is processed. Dark chocolate can also reduce the risk of diabetes, help with blood vessel flexibility, and sometimes improve vision.
Pure Dark chocolate meaning not loaded with sugar has a lot of good nutrients like fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper. A recommended serving of dark chocolate is 1 ounce of 70% – 80% cacao which consists of 170 calories,2 grams of protein,12 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of sugar. 2 servings of chocolate a day is more than enough to get the positive benefits of dark chocolate. Doctors recommend taking a 10-minute walk after eating chocolate if trying to lose weight, maybe even invite a friend along with.
https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/dark-chocolate-serotonin-levels-5558.html
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/dark-chocolate-improves-memory-reduces-stress#6
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/delicious-reasons-to-eat-dark-chocolate.aspx
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/dark-chocolate-improves-memory-reduces-stress#1
