Hot chocolate allows the hormone of happiness to flow, Nutritionists
Is hot chocolate good for you?
Hot cocoa is rich in flavonoids that improve blood circulation. Better circulation reduces the risk of blood clots, lowers blood pressure, improves heart health, and helps you think better by providing better blood flow to the brain.
Cocoa beans are a mineral energy source containing copper, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that help reduce the risk of high blood pressure or high blood pressure, according to a 2009 study. Calcium is also known to support healthy, strong bones.
"Magnesium also naturally lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), which helps reduce stress and anxiety." You cannot be angry with any of them.
Chocolate gets a lot of negative reviews because of its high fat and sugar content. Its consumption has been associated with acne, obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes.
But the news isn't all bad, according to a review of chocolate's health effects published in the Dutch Journal of Medicine.
The authors highlight the discovery that cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, contains biologically active phenolic compounds.
It changed the way people think about chocolate and spurred research into how it affects aging and diseases such as oxidative stress, blood pressure regulation, and atherosclerosis.
The antioxidants in chocolate may have a number of health benefits. As with dark chocolate, the higher the cocoa content, the greater the benefit. Dark chocolate may also be low in fat and sugar, but it's important to check the label.
Consuming hot chocolate can provide the following benefits:
lower cholesterol
prevent cognitive decline
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
It's important to note that the possible health benefits listed below come from separate studies. More research is needed to confirm that eating chocolate can actually improve people's health.
Also, chocolates don't just contain cocoa. The benefits and harms of other ingredients, such as sugar and fat, must be considered.
1) cholesterol
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that eating chocolate may help lower LDL cholesterol, also known as "bad cholesterol."
The researchers wanted to know if chocolates containing plant sterols (PS) and cocoa flavanols (CF) could affect cholesterol levels.
The researchers concluded: "Regular consumption of sweets containing PS and CF as part of a low-fat diet may support cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and increasing blood pressure."
2) Cognitive function
Harvard Medical School scientists have suggested that drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may help keep the brain healthy and reduce memory loss in older people.
Researchers have found that hot chocolate helps improve blood flow to parts of the brain that need it.
Lead author Farzana Surund said:
"Because different parts of the brain need more energy to do their jobs, they also need more blood flow. This relationship, called neurovascular communication, may play a role in diseases like Alzheimer's."
Laboratory test results published in 2014 showed that a cocoa extract called Lavado could reduce or prevent nerve damage in Alzheimer's patients. This extract can help slow down symptoms such as cognitive decline.
Another study published in the journal Appetite in 2016 reports that eating chocolate at least once a week can improve cognitive function.
3) heart disease
A study published in the BMJ suggests that eating chocolate can help reduce the risk of heart disease by a third.
Based on their observations, the authors concluded that higher chocolate consumption may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
And they want more pilot studies to confirm whether eating chocolate is healthy.
4 stroke
In a study of 44,489 people, Canadian scientists found that those who ate a serving of chocolate were 22% less likely to have a stroke than those who did not. Additionally, those who ate about 2 ounces of chocolate a week were 46% less likely to die from a stroke.
Another study, published in the journal Heart in 2015, followed the long-term effects of the diet on the health of 25,000 men and women.
The results showed that eating up to 100 grams of chocolate per day may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Hot chocolate and its effect on hormones
1-chocolate and neurotransmitters
Chocolate affects neurotransmitters like hormones. According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, chocolate may balance neurotransmitters that regulate bad mood, like serotonin and dopamine.
2-stress hormones
Swiss researchers showed that people who ate 40 grams of dark chocolate daily for two weeks reduced urinary output caused by stress hormones, including cortisol and catecholamines, and decreased the body's production of these hormones.
3-digestive system hormones
Researchers have found that eating dark chocolate, or even just smelling it, has a direct effect on the digestive hormones that affect appetite. Women who ate or smelled dark chocolate showed hormonal signs of appetite suppression.
4-craving for chocolate
Many people believe that hormones, particularly the hormonal changes women go through before their period, trigger chocolate cravings. Several studies have examined the links between chocolate cravings and PMS. A 2004 study of Hispanic and American women found that American women reported chocolate cravings more often than Hispanic women.
hot chocolate flows the hormone of happiness
PhiScience cites research at the Center for Human Pharmacology at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, which attempted to identify the substances in chocolate that are responsible for improving mood.
Researchers have discovered many substances responsible for our happiness when we eat hot chocolate; This includes tryptophan, which helps the brain release serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for our feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Hot chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a natural substance that acts as an antidepressant and stimulates happy centers in the brain.
Along with theobromine, which is similar to the caffeine found in tea and coffee, it has the same effect on the brain in relation to alertness and activity.
On the other hand, there are tetrahydro-α-carbolines that work differently from what was said above, namely inhibiting an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO); It is an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of happiness. And when we eat chocolate containing this substance, it slows down the work of this enzyme, making us feel better for longer.
Sometimes the body produces endorphins, which are natural substances secreted by the body to relieve pain. This substance is also released when you eat hot chocolate, which stimulates the brain to produce endorphins. In addition to the role of this type of chocolate in relieving symptoms of depression and improving mood.
And don't forget the sugar, a key ingredient in chocolate, whose relationship with taste buds sends chemical signals to the brain that promote feelings of happiness and help release chemicals in the brain responsible for feelings of pleasure, for example, B. dopamine.