Happy Valentine’s Day!
When you think of Valentine’s Day, what’s the first food that comes to mind?
Chocolate!
Whether it’s rich, delicious chocolate à la carte, or another yummy food paired with chocolate (hello, chocolate covered strawberries!), the celebration of V-day pretty much calls for the incorporation of chocolate in some form or another.
That being said, chocolate is often thought of as a “cheat” food, but it doesn’t have to be. And below are a few sweet fit facts about chocolate for those of you who want to indulge in this treat today (or any other day).
1. Chocolate can enhance performance and recovery
In a study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism researchers sought to examine the effectiveness of chocolate, namely chocolate milk, as an exercise recovery aid. In this study, endurance athletes were given a recovery drink and chocolate milk, and then researchers tracked the athletes’ ability to recover after a series of bike sprints followed by an endurance ride the next day. And interestingly enough it was found that chocolate milk was just as effective at relieving muscle soreness after the sprints, and in preparing athletes for the endurance test the next day.
2. Chocolate contains key nutrients and antioxidants
Chocolate contains many key nutrients including potassium, iron, vitamins A, B1, E and even fiber. It also contains polyphenols and flavonoids which are unique biochemicals that can exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell-protective effects. Last but definitely not least, chocolate can also help lower blood pressure and improve insulin resistance according to a joint study between Tufts University and the University of L’Aquila in Italy.
Fit Tip: Cacao (or cocoa) is the secret behind the positive health effects of chocolate. So to reap the above benefits, stick to dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cacao (or cocoa, which is cacao in its roasted, ground form). The higher the percentage of cacao better. Dark chocolate will always contain more nutrients, more antioxidants, and less sugar than milk chocolate.
3. Chocolate can help reduce stress
Chocolate is often thought of as a comfort food, and when times get rough, it’s not uncommon for folks to go on a bit of a chocolate rampage to soothe their sorrows. It turns out though, that this kind of emotional eating might not be such a bad thing. Yes, overindulging in the more refined (aka, sugar-filled) versions of chocolate can indeed leave you fat, not to mention more depressed because you’ve gotten fat. But this doesn’t seem to be the case with dark chocolate. In fact, Swiss scientists found that when stressed out people ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks, their stress hormone levels were significantly reduced and the metabolic effects of stress were partially mitigated.
4. Chocolate doesn’t cause cavities (and may prevent them)
Truth be told, candy alone doesn’t cause cavities. Cavities are actually formed when mouth bacteria metabolize carbohydrates from any type of food (be that soda, candy, juice, bread, rice or pasta). When these bacteria metabolize carbs, they produce and acid that then eats through tooth enamel, thus causing a cavity. So bottom line, the best way to avoid cavities is to use proper oral hygiene- and not to just avoid chocolate. And surprisingly enough, according to research from Tulane University, theobromine (an organic molecule that occurs naturally in cocoa) can actually help to strengthen tooth enamel and may prevent tooth decay.
5. Chocolate can help you lose weight
When most people think of chocolate, they think of the very sweet and unhealthy version- the version that’s been highly refined and manufactured with fattening ingredients like sugar, which is very pleasing to your taste buds, but not so good for your health or waistline.
Now let’s again revisit the other version of chocolate- the less refined, dark kind. As I mentioned before, cacao (or cocoa) is the secret behind the health benefits of chocolate. Cocoa is also the source of dark chocolate’s distinct “bitter” taste, and researchers from the University of Copenhagen have shown that adding dark chocolate to your diet could help with weight loss, namely because dark chocolate can help lessens cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Furthermore, dark chocolate is more filling than its sweeter, milk chocolate sibling. So indulging in a bit of dark chocolate could make it easier for you to stick to your diet in general, and may help reduce the risk of bingeing, which can occur when you feel deprived of your favorite “cheat” foods.
Fit Tip: To reap the weight loss benefits, limit yourself to 7 ounces of dark chocolate a week, which equates to 2 full-sized bars.
Were you aware of chocolate’s health benefits? What’s your favorite brand of dark chocolate? Tweet me and let me know in the comments! – Doc