Chocolate study is healthier than expected

Study: Chocolate is healthier than expected

04/16/2014

Most people see chocolate as an unhealthy fad. But the popular stimulant is much healthier than expected. Cocoa-containing products, for example, reduce the risk of heart attack, according to a study. Nothing should stand in the way of chocolate snacking at Easter.

Chocolate lowers heart attack risk
Easter is around the corner and often involves large quantities of chocolate eggs and hare. The Germans are passionate chocolate fans all year round anyway. After all, a quarter of the population eats a bar of chocolate at least once a week. However, most people are not aware that the sweet temptation not only thickens but can also have positive effects. As researchers from the University of Cambridge in a study have found, the consumption of chocolate to reduce the risk of heart attack, even with daily consumption by 50 percent.

Not too much snacking
However, according to the British study, this applies only to dark chocolate, in which the cocoa content is particularly high. The reason for this is the substance Flavonol, which binds cell-damaging substances. According to the dpa news agency, researchers found that people who eat a lot of cocoa-containing products have a 37 percent lower risk of heart attack. In addition, the risk of other cardiovascular diseases was lower compared to those with very little cocoa consumption. The risk of a stroke also dropped according to the researchers by chocolate lovers by 29 percent. But you should still not too much snacking, since the sweet stimulant in addition to cocoa also contains a lot of sugar and fat. The investigation could therefore not confirm the motto "much helps much" in this context. The results of the study were published in the journal "British Medical Journal".

Good quality can be recognized by the shine and cracking
Even the approximately 20 percent of the German population who suffer from lactose intolerance do not have to do without chocolate. You can usually switch to noble bittersweet chocolate as the ingredients normally contain neither milk nor milk powder. If you value good quality, you should pay attention to the shine of the chocolate. Because, as the chocolate manufacturer "Rausch Plantagen Schokolade" explained according to dpa, a rough surface indicates moisture deposits. A white coating indicates that the fat has settled on the outer layer of chocolate. Another quality feature is the sound when breaking the chocolate. A good product can be recognized by the appetizing crackling. The higher the cocoa and cocoa butter content, the more noticeably the chocolate cracks.

Dark chocolate good for your health
Earlier studies have also shown that especially dark chocolate, thanks to the high cocoa content and less sugar can have a positive effect on health. For example, dark chocolate can lead to an increase in antioxidants in the blood, which in turn protect the cardiovascular system. In addition, further studies have shown that dark chocolate cocoa butter lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good (HDL). Another positive thing has just been proven recently: black chocolate protects against stress. Scientists from the Universities of Berne and Zurich have found that bitter chocolate has an influence on the release of stress hormones and thus protects against the negative health consequences of stress. Incidentally, chocolate was sold through pharmacies until late in the 19th century, as it was seen as health-promoting. (Sb)