Pros And Cons Of Chocolate

The Pros and Cons of Chocolate loving
So is chocolate really good for the heart or is that what we tell ourselves to feel better about eating so many?
With Valentine’s day getting nearer and nearer, it’s the time media platforms will start marketing chocolates through their health benefits. The generic trend goes as, “chocolate is good for you” and makes you healthier, even sharpens your brain sensors and is known to make you happier. But does all this hype hold any weight?
Well, the answer is a mixed one. In some ways, it’s good. In some ways, it’s not.
Dr. Eric Ding, who is a scientist in the Deparment of Nutrition of Harvard School of Public health says that chocolate is not necessarily good for you. The truth is that cocoa used in chocolate

This means it’s high in a plant compound called cocoa flavonoid. This compound is known to have positive effects on heart diseases and regularity of blood flow to the brain. Chocolate is what comes out to be the end result after adding milk, sugar and a few other ingredients to cocoa powder. These add fat as well as sugar to it, countering the health benefits of cocoa.
Cocoa for the Heart
Catechin, Epicatechin and Procyanidins are three flavonoids in cocoa that help in the functioning of the cardiovascular system through lowering of the cholesterol, reduction of inflammation and prevention of blood clots. On analyzing the results of studies on the various effects that cocoa flavoniods have on the functioning of the heart, it was found that they reduce blood pressure and unhealthy LDL cholesterol, increase healthy LDL cholesterol, improve flow of blood and lower insulin resistance.
This has confirmed only the short term advantages of cocoa on heart problems, not the outcome that these lowered risks give. All in all, though cocoa counteracts high blood pressure, cholesterol and other factors that lead to a heart attack, it is not sure whether it actually prevents one from happening.
In the words of Dr. Ding, “the jury’s still out on direct heart attack prevention.”
Cocoa and the

This is equivalent to almost 30 bars of milk chocolate. The issue here is that these 30 bars come loaded with sugar and extra calories.
Then in order to make use of the health advantages of cocoa flavonoids, you must consume a more concentrated cocoa product. Some supplements include upto 250 miligrams per serving of flavonoids as well.
So if you’re indulging in a piece of chocolate every day, make sure it’s dark. The more the cocoa content, the healthier it is for you. 70% or above is a good choice to go for. Although it might not be a miracle worker, it will surely have a good effect on your brain and heart without causing too much harm to your waistline.
Overall, we see that the effects of cocoa are extremely mild but they do exist. So chocolate is not as good for us as we make it seem, unless, and only unless, it’s dark chocolate. So all the cocoa lovers out there, you’re doing it perfectly