Chocolate is good for you: 5 good reasons to eat it
Science has confirmed what we all hoped for: chocolate is good for you. This is not to say that you can replace the five servings of fruit and vegetables with 5 bars of caramel chocolate, but that, when taken in moderation, chocolate is good for the heart and skin.
But be careful: it is dark chocolate that is a real cure-all for our body, while the other variants are less suitable. The properties of dark chocolate are numerous: we have collected them in five points.
Here, then, are five good reasons to give in to temptation!
1. Chocolate is good for you because it contains catechin and epicatechin
Don't be frightened by the medical terms: catechin and epicatechin are two polyphenols, the natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories par excellence, of which cocoa and green tea are rich.
Once a square of chocolate has been eaten, the polyphenols are attacked by the good bacteria of the intestine, which break them down into small, easily metabolizable molecules capable of developing anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. healthier skin and stronger immune system.
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2. Chocolate lowers blood pressure
Norwich Medical School conducted a test on 1,300 people, analyzing how blood pressure was affected by the "increase in" cocoa intake. The result showed that blood pressure is positively influenced: specifically, chocolate is an excellent ally in the battle against hypertension and, therefore, against pathologies such as heart attack.
3. The wonders of chocolate therapy
For chocolate therapy we mean the use of cocoa in treatments for face and body. The substances contained in cocoa, in fact, are useful not only if ingested, but also if used directly on our skin. Chocolate baths, peeling, scrubs and massages demonstrate that chocolate is good for our skin and our mood If applied regularly, a chocolate mask, for example, can visibly and quickly diminish blemishes and wrinkles on the face.
4. Chocolate is good for you because it is rich in minerals
The mineral salts present in chocolate are numerous. Among the main ones, we mention:
- phosphorus: boosts memory and fights symptoms of fatigue and irritability especially during the menstrual cycle
- potassium: allows the muscular system to work properly
- iron: did you think spinach had a lot of iron? A study has shown that 100 grams of spinach provide 3.5 mg of iron, while in the case of chocolate the proportion is three times higher!
- magnesium: helps in the transmission of nerve stimuli and helps the body to manage stressful situations.
5. Chocolate makes us happy
An Australian study compared the effects of chocolate on mood to those of some anxiolytics: chocolate, in fact, contains simple sugars that raise the level of serotonin, the hormone that regulates mood, and releases endorphins, which calm the mind. And if you are portraying yourself happy, but full of pimples, here's another good news: there is no correlation between acne and cocoa, indeed some studies have eliminated it from the triggers of pimples and blackheads.
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