Chocolate lovers have reason to rejoice as one of Britain's leading nutritionists has brought them some sweet news.
Scientist and professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, Tim Spector, claims that your favorite sweet treat can have major health benefits - provided it contains more than 70% cocoa mass. According to the founder of health app Zoe and author of the new cookbook Food for Life, eating dark chocolate can prevent serious health problems, the Mirror reported.
The magic lies in polyphenols - substances found in high-cocoa chocolate that help reduce inflammation - which can potentially prevent diseases such as dementia, arthritis and diabetes. In his latest Instagram post, Professor Spector wrote: "Everyone loves chocolate."
“I know I love him, and I didn't need my book to tell me that. But writing the book told me a lot more about what is in chocolate that is not only delicious, but actually good for our health. And it's about good quality chocolates, with over 70% cocoa in it, because it's all from the plant, and the beans themselves are full of polyphenols, which are increased through the fermentation process. So these polyphenols are really good for us and give us many of the benefits of eating chocolate," he added.
Spector pointed out that premium chocolate is not only a treat for the taste buds, but also a means of increasing fiber intake, which is crucial because 90% of people do not reach the recommended 30g of fiber per day. He claims that increasing fiber intake by 5g each day can significantly lower blood pressure, even more than salt.
"Chocolate also has fibre, and a normal serving of dark chocolate contains over twice as much fiber as the equivalent slice of wholemeal bread. So chocolate is a great thing to have as a little treat at the end of the day, knowing that as well as being extremely tasty, it's also very healthy, and I certainly enjoy it," said the nutritionist.
“Cocoa is a rich source of polyphenols such as flavanols, which act as rocket fuel for gut microbes by enhancing the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and reducing the number of pathogenic or bad bacteria. "One study found that the total polyphenol content of cocoa powder exceeded that of the so-called 'superfoods' acai, blueberries and pomegranate," Spector said.
"One of the things that always surprises people is how much fiber there is in chocolate - about 712g in 100g of 70% cocoa dark chocolate, the percentage of which increases as the cocoa content increases. The 85% Lindt bar contains 15g of fiber per 100g bar or 6g per 40g portion," explained the professor.
"These are significant amounts when you remember that the average European consumes a total of 15g or less per day, although I'm not suggesting you replace vegetables with dark chocolate." Some chocolate bars contain emulsifiers, so it's best to check the label and choose the highest percentage you can use to minimize sugar and maximize polyphenols and fiber," added Spector. | BGNES
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