Contents:
- Medical Video: Health benefits of Chocolate
- Where does chocolate come from?
- Is it true that chocolate can counteract free radicals?
- Is chocolate good for health?
- Are all types of chocolate healthy and nutritious?
- So, is chocolate including healthy food?
Medical Video: Health benefits of Chocolate
If you have added chocolate, it feels like a variety of foods and drinks are more delicious. In fact, chocolate that is eaten just like that is quite appetizing. Well, it turns out that behind the delicious taste, chocolate has many benefits for our body. However, don't many say that eating chocolate can make fat and blood sugar rise? So which one is right? Is chocolate healthy or even risky for health? Find out the answer here.
Where does chocolate come from?
Chocolate comes from the fruit of the cocoa tree. The fruit has a unique shape like a ball. Inside are brown beans. Well, these chocolate seeds will be dried, fermented, cleaned, and processed to become the chocolate you eat.
Is it true that chocolate can counteract free radicals?
Black chocolate turns out to contain lots of flavonoids. The content of flavonoids in chocolate has acted as an antioxidant that can counteract free radicals in the body.
With the deterrence of free radicals, the body's resistance can increase and the body can be protected from diseases, especially cancer. Antioxidants in chocolate can also help slow the aging process.
Is chocolate good for health?
In addition to functioning as a natural antioxidant, it turns out chocolate also has several other properties for health. This is what makes experts consider chocolate healthy and good for consumption.
- Chocolate contains magnesium, copper, potassium and calcium. These nutrients turned out to have a very good role for the health of blood vessels. Black chocolate, or what is known as dark chocolate, it turns out it contains as much as 36 mg of magnesium per 100 calories serving. Magnesium is a nutrient that is needed for protein synthesis, muscle relaxation, and to produce energy. Magnesium also has the ability to protect the heart from irregular heartbeat.
- The copper content of chocolate is also very useful for iron transfer to the body, glucose metabolism, growth of children, and brain development. When compared with chocolate milk, the copper content in dark chocolate is higher. Chocolate milk only contains 10 percent copper, while dark chocolate contains 31 percent.
- Potassium in chocolate can also reduce the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). Black chocolate contains as much as 114 mg of potassium (or as much as 2 percent of the Daily Nutrition Adequacy Rate).
- Black chocolate contains polyphenols which can reduce blood pressure levels. The antioxidant content in chocolate is also able to reduce levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) which can reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Flavonoids in dark chocolate are also able to regulate the absorption of carbohydrates in the digestive tract, protect and maintain the function of pancreatic beta cells (which are often disrupted in those with type 2 diatebes) and increase insulin sensitivity. A stable insulin level will stabilize the glucose in your body.
Apart from these benefits, it turns out dark chocolate also has several other unique abilities such as:
- Increases blood flow to the brain and heart. This will improve your thinking skills.
- Apparently, chocolate consumption can cause feelings of happiness.
- Chocolate can also make us more refreshed and awake, because chocolate also contains caffeine (although in amounts far less than coffee).
Are all types of chocolate healthy and nutritious?
In the market chocolate is divided into three groups. Black chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate. Of the three groups, dark chocolate contains the least amount of fat (28 percent), while the fat content in white chocolate is the highest, which is 30.9 percent. As for protein content, white chocolate has the highest protein content, which is equal to 8 percent.
Based on the composition, dark chocolate also does not contain milk, or only in very small amounts, in contrast to other types of chocolate which are generally mixed with milk or sweeteners.
So, is chocolate including healthy food?
Actually, chocolate does have many positive effects on your body's health. However, you also need to look at the composition of the chocolate you choose. Especially if you don't eat dark chocolate or pure chocolate, but chocolate candy that has been mixed with various ingredients into it.
You must pay attention to the glucose content and calories in the chocolate. The presence of such ingredients will actually have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels, especially for those who have diabetes mellitus.
Therefore, it is actually healthy chocolate if you choose the right type, such as low-fat dark chocolate. Also pay attention to the portion. No need to eat chocolate to excess to get benefits for health. Eat enough, but regularly.
