IS CHOCOLATE A HEALTHY FOOD?

Chocolate has long been considered a delicious treat, a gift during the holidays of love or a gift for relatives and friends every time someone returns from a trip. But does chocolate stop being a delicious and attractive taste or are there other benefits?

Let’s find out under the illumination of science:

• One of the first benefits of eating chocolate is that it releases endorphins in the brain. You may have heard of endorphins, which are hormones structured by peptides, produced by the central nervous system and pituitary gland. Endorphins act on opioid receptors in the brain to reduce pain and increase pleasure, leading to increased feelings of well-being. In addition to being released when eating chocolate, endorphins are also released when exercising or having sex.

And if you do all 3 things together, perhaps the level of happiness will increase 3 times.

• There is a growing body of evidence that certain naturally occurring compounds in chocolate provide significant benefits to human health. And the most prominent is the flavonol compound. Flavonols are a type of compound belonging to the Flavonoid family that acts as an antioxidant belonging to the Hydroxide group – 3OH. This substance exists in fruits and vegetables and is considered healthy. In particular, the flavonols in chocolate are good for the brain, accordingly, when patients with mild cognitive impairment consume a high dose of flavonols in chocolate, it clearly improves cognitive function, Flavonols help maintain and improve not only cardiovascular health but also brain health.

Therefore, for the elderly or those who often have to work their minds, the consumption of chocolate has great benefits for the brain.

Thus, consuming chocolate daily will not only help you feel happy and love life, but also help you to have a clear mind and a healthier heart. Of course, choose high-quality chocolates because not all chocolates are the same.

Now let’s take a look at some of the countries that consume the most chocolate in the world, the 2017 figures were conducted by the company Lindt (calculated for a person’s chocolate consumption within 1 year).

1. Switzerland: 8.8 kg
2. Áo: Weight: 8.1 kg
3.  Germany: 7.9 kg
4. UK 7.6 kg
5. Sweden: 6.6 kg
6. Belgium: 5.6kg

It is easy to see that these are all developed countries in Europe with high incomes. This proves that people in developed countries attach importance to the consumption of chocolate in their daily diet.

Take Switzerland, for example, with an average consumption of 8.8 kg per person per year, which is equivalent to the weight of 1 mini bar or 2 chocolate bars.