Be Careful When Consuming Chocolate, Get To Know 5 Facts That Are Safe For Health

Illustration of cocoa beans with chocolate ingredients (Unsplash/Tetiana Bykovets)

JAKARTA – Chocolate covered dishes and hot chocolate drinks are very tempting. Even a number of studies that found that chocolate is good for health when consumed properly cited various articles. Unfortunately, it is not clear which chocolate is safe for health.

1. Chocolate is safe for health, what kind?

Citing an explanation published on the British Heart Foundation page, Monday, September 20, the main ingredient in the chocolate you eat is cocoa beans. Cocoa beans contain natural polyphenols that have been shown to be beneficial in reducing blood pressure and are antioxidants.

Like research conducted in 2020 from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas. Based on his research suggests that chocolate can maintain the health of heart blood vessels. But what kind of chocolate, how much, risk factors, and the condition of the participants' blood circulation were not clearly explained.

There are also many other studies that are fuzzy. Recommend eating chocolate, but the most accessible is chocolate with high content of sugar and saturated fat.

2. Dark chocolate is better

This second fact answers the question in the previous point, that dark chocolate contains more cocoa and cocoa butter than milk chocolate. Well, the level of polyphenols depends on how the cocoa beans are processed to become ready-to-eat chocolate.

Starting from the roasting process, fermentation, roasting time and temperature, alkalinity, additives can almost completely remove polyphenols from dark chocolate.

3. The number of calories and energy that needs to be burned after eating a bar of chocolate

Each in one chocolate bar contains an average of 220 kcal. This is equivalent to 10 percent of the daily intake for men and 12 percent for women. To remove energy from a bar of chocolate eaten by a 50-year-old person, it takes 45-55 minutes to walk.

4. Chocolate is not addictive, but…

Scientifically it has never been found that chocolate is addictive. However, our feelings about chocolate tend to dictate that we should eat chocolate for comfort, rewards, and celebration.

The dictation of these feelings makes it difficult for us to control how much is right to eat.

5. Diabetics can eat chocolate

Usually, people with diabetes consume chocolate in moderation when living a healthy lifestyle. Stick to small amounts of chocolate made from cocoa beans and eat it at the end of each meal so that the body absorbs it more slowly.

As an added fact, hot chocolate isn't a healthy drink unless you can make sure it's served without foam, cream, marshmellow, and sugar.

His advice, make hot chocolate from a chocolate bar with the addition of skim milk and cocoa powder plus very little sugar. It can save 100 kcal and is more nutritious.