The Positives and Negatives of Chocolate

The Positives and Negatives of Chocolate

According to WorldAtlas.com the top 4 countries that consume the most chocolate per capita are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. Despite the fact that Switzerland is the biggest consumer of chocolate in the world, it is in the top 3 healthiest countries in the world according to dmarge.com. So does this mean we should all be eating more chocolate? I certainly hope so.

Statista info graph

Chocolate is a confectionery product as it is high in sugar and calories. Therefore it is a contributing factor in the obesity epidemic across the world. Public Health England is currently trying to get businesses to cut sugar by 20% by 2020. Businesses are to achieve this by trying to lower sugar levels in their products, reduce the size of their products or push healthier products. Mars, Nestle, Cadbury and Mondelez [manufacturer of Toblerone] have all reduced the size of their products, while leaving prices unaltered to protect profit margins. A Kit-Kat bar now has extra milk and cocoa to reduce sugar. 
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c9/KitKat_logo.svg/1200px-KitKat_logo.svg.png

Chocolate is an addictive substance and contains caffeine. Studies of the brain have shown that chocolate stimulates some of the areas of the brain that are activated by drugs such as cocaine. Chocolate often creates feelings of pleasure, not only because it tastes so good but also because it triggers an endorphin rush and produces serotonin which is a brain chemical that effects well being. When people crave chocolate they may not only have low blood sugar but may have low serotonin levels due to lack of pleasure in other areas of life.

As for the nutritional value, chocolate does give you a 'sugar rush' which gives a rush of energy before your energy levels crash. So as you might suspect, chocolate does not have very good nutritional content. It is high in sugar and fat. Despite the fact that chocolate is not at all nutritious, the cacao bean itself is highly nutritious. It is 'packed with protein, has more iron than beef per serving, more magnesium than any other plant-based food and contains more vitamin C than most other vegetables.' Cacao is also a source of chromium which is a mineral that has been known to reduce sugar cravings and improve insulin function in the body. It is also one of the best antioxidants on the planet.

As the cacao bean is so nutritious, dark chocolate is better for you than other chocolate as it generally has a higher percentage of cocoa solids. Dark chocolate improves heart health, is antioxidant rich, and may improve brain function. Studies have shown that cocoa can improve blood flow to the skin and protect it against sun-induced damage. It is especially protective against cardiovascular disease.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Dark_chocolate_Blanxart.jpg

However before you start thinking you should be eating more dark chocolate, it is still loaded with calories so it shouldn't be eaten every day. As my parents are constantly telling me, 'everything in moderation'.


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