The French eat an average of 380,000 tonnes of chocolate per year! This pleasure food has many health virtues. However, provided you choose it well and not to abuse it.
Of cocoaof the fibersantioxidants and serotonin… Chocolate is far from limiting itself to a simple pleasure food. Its health virtues are very diverse and have also been the subject of many serious scientific studies. Regular and moderate consumption of dark chocolate would even have many benefits. Be careful however, not all chocolates have the same nutritional value and are not as interesting for health!
It is cocoa, contained in dark chocolate in large quantities, which is responsible for its many virtues. Also, the more the chocolate is rich in cocoa, the better its nutritional value and the more healthy properties are.
- Morale action : The beneficial action of chocolate on morale comes from euphoric elements with “anti -depression” effects it contains. The cocoa is rich tryptophan, which turns into serotonin, the famous hormone of happiness. Serotonin, a real source of well-being, is known for its soothing action what is worth chocolate the title of food
- Antidepressant : The joint effects of magnesium and sugar contained in the chocolate allow renewed energy, magnesium having a relaxing effect on the neuro muscle system.
- Dark chocolate is rich in phenylethylaminealso known as “Love molecule”. From the same family as the amphetamines, this unpronounceable name would have an euphoric, stimulating effect and even cut off! Note that this phenylethylamine is contained in cocoa, and that chocolate will be all the better provided as its cocoa percentage will be high.
- Stimulates the brain : Thanks to its antioxidants, caffeine and especially its theobromine dark chocolate would stimulate the brain. From the family of alkaloids, theobromine is a gentle stimulant of the nervous system, which tends to inhibit the feeling of fatigue. It is added to the effects of caffeine, which is also a physical and cerebral stimulant.
- Protection against cellular aging and anti -aging effect: Pure cocoa is one of the foods richest in flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that protect cells from premature aging. They are particularly effective in fighting brain and cutaneous aging, giving cocoa an anti -aging effect. The antioxidant capacity of cocoa would even be almost 3 times higher than that of green tea!
- Decreased the risk of cardiovascular diseases: Chocolate has a preventive action against cardiovascular diseases due to the presence of polyphenols which limit the appearance of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), and therefore participates in the prevention of atherosclerosis.
- Anticoagulant action: The tannins contained in cocoa would have an anticoagulant effect, comparable to that of aspirin, and would lower the tension.
Milk chocolate contains much less cocoa than its black counterpart, but more sugar. Its nutritional composition is therefore less interesting. In addition, the more sweet chocolate, the more addictive it is. It is therefore much more difficult to limit itself to 2 squares of milk chocolate than to 2 squares of dark chocolate, whose richness in cocoa will have a full effect.
Totally devoid of cocoa, white chocolate no longer contains What cocoa butter, sugar and milk. It is therefore deprived of the health benefits of cocoa and is more like a confectionery or a spread, rich in sugar and fats but low in nutrients.
We speak of raw chocolate as soon as the beans have not suffered from roasting. Cocoa and cocoa butter are extracted from very low temperatures (never more than 40 ° C) in order to preserve minerals, vitamins and especially antioxidant polyphenols as much as possible. The raw cocoa is ultimately a super-chocolate, with tenfold nutritional qualities. His taste? Stronger in the mouth, wilder, sometimes it must be tamed a little before appreciating it at its fair value.
The calories of chocolate vary depending on its type. So, 100 grams of dark chocolate with less than 70% cocoa concentrate 527 caloriesthe same amount of white chocolate contains 563 calories when the Praline thicket brings together 559 calories. Overall, chocolate remains a very calorie food and should be consumed in moderation, especially during diet. It is thus advisable to savor (if the heart tells you) two squares per day (obviously black!) At the maximum in this case.
| Nutrients | Dark chocolate has less than 70% cocoa, tablet: content for 100 g |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6.63 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42.9 g |
| – including sugars | 38.3 g |
| – including starch | 4.6 g |
| Dietary fiber | 12 g |
| Lipids | 33.8 g |
| – including cholesterol | 1.45 mg |
| – including saturated fatty acids | 22.5 g |
| – including monounsaturated fatty acids | 9.37 g |
| – including polyunsaturated fatty acids | 0.94 g |
| Water | 0.7 g |
The quantities must always be put into perspective according to each. Theoretically, sweet foods should not exceed 5% of the total calorie ration. Also, a 30 -year -old woman eating 2000 calories per day, should not exceed 100 calories of sugar, 20 g of chocolate (2 large squares or 4 small squares), admitting that it does not consume any other sweet product during the day.
Rich in fats and sugar, chocolate is not an easy to digest food for the little ones. It is recommended not to introduce it until a year and a half, even two years, age at which the digestive system is mature. It is then desirable to offer dark chocolate (rich in magnesium) or milk (rich in calcium) more interestingly nutritionally than white chocolate (too sweet). Avoid chocolate bars and spreads as much as possible, much poorer nutritiously than a real chocolate in the tablet. Finally, watch out for fancy chocolates, garnished with hazelnuts, nuts and almonds, in case of food allergies.
