One of the questions many of us ask ourselves is: Why do we like chocolate so much? Sometimes it is difficult to resist the temptation and when we do not succeed we may even feel guilty for having eaten that piece of chocolate we wanted so much. But the truth is that if we consume it in moderation there is nothing to worry about, since it has been proven that pure cocoa, the basic element of chocolate, has very beneficial components for our organism.
Chocolate is a world-famous food that originated in Mexico. According to legend, the god Quetzalcoatl gave a cocoa tree to all men and years later they baptized it with the scientific name Theobroma Cacao (food of the gods).
Chocolate is associated with pleasure. Its palpability, texture and flavor support this satisfying experience. Cocoa contains substances such as falvonoids, specifically epicatechin, and is primarily responsible for the heart-healthy and antioxidant functions of cocoa. This plant antioxidant can also inhibit the oxidation of “bad” cholesterol, regulate the inflammatory response of blood vessels and combat the formation of blood clots.
Dark chocolate is one of the 10 foods we should include in our diet, according to the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC).
In addition to the antioxidant effect, cocoa also lowers blood pressure, both minimum and maximum, and also improves insulin sensitivity, which can favor glucose metabolism.
Chocolate is considered a healthy food as long as it contains the maximum amount of cocoa and is consumed in moderation.
Experts advise consuming one or two ounces of dark chocolate per day, but the amount will really depend on the type of chocolate chosen. The lower the amount of cocoa, the lower the daily consumption.
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate… Which chocolate is better?
There are so many types of chocolate that it is sometimes difficult to choose just one, but we must bear in mind that there is a type of chocolate that is healthier than the rest and it is the one that contains the most cocoa. Chocolates with more than 70% cocoa are the only ones with beneficial effects on health, although the ideal would be to choose a chocolate with 85% cocoa or more.
Dr. Carina Gimeno, Team Leader of the Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit of the Quirón Salud Hospital in Valencia, recommends pure chocolate, although its caloric composition is similar, since it does not contain added sugars and the fat comes from the cocoa itself.
A 99% dark chocolate bar is composed of cocoa mass, lean cocoa powder, cocoa butter, while a milk chocolate contains, in addition to these ingredients, milk powder, sugar and added milk fat. White chocolate, on the other hand, does not contain cocoa mass but cocoa butter, sugar and milk.
In addition, dark chocolate has also been shown to generate a sense of well-being and improve mood by stimulating the release of serotonin.
Can chocolate addiction develop?
As we have already pointed out, as long as consumption is moderate, chocolate is not going to be a problem, quite the contrary. There are also no studies that show that this food can create physiological dependence, although it is true that many people may experience an intense desire to consume it for the pleasure it gives them, so it could be considered a psychological dependence.
Ways to consume it
With the arrival of summer and the high sensitivity of this food to high temperatures, we can enjoy chocolate in a refreshing and nutritious way in mousses, fruit skewers, ice cream, milkshakes or smoothies. And you, which one do you choose?