The Chocolate Debate - Healthy or Not

Chocolate was meant as a "sinful pleasure", but there have been debates on the merits of the ingestion of chocolate on a regular basis. 

Eating chocolate or not eating chocolate, that is the question! Almost everyone loves chocolate, and millions consume it on daily basis. The debate about chocolate having health benefits has been a very long time. A lot of money has been spent on this research, most of them financed by the big chocolate companies. There have been some positive results for some of the components of chocolate, but the debate continues as if this research is purely to promote and benefit the candy companies, or if there is sufficient data was collected independently. 

Health benefits of chocolate 

The following is a list of some of the health benefits that research claims that chocolate can have. 

    * Prevents cancer, heart disease and stroke 

    * Increases appetite 

    * Does anyone live longer with at least one year 

    * Eating chocolate releases endorphins in the brain that relieve pain and stress. 

    * Serves as a stimulant, promotes alertness and increases blood flow to the brain 

    * Helps ease symptoms of menopause 

    * Theobromine in chocolate reduces cough in humans 

Are these studies Reliable?

All research is funded by the candy companies will make people question the bias in the results. Moreover, the results can claim that certain constituents of chocolate are beneficial, but additives are the problem, and every candy company has a different recipe to follow to make their chocolate bars taste better. Maybe if people consumed cocoa or dark chocolate almost every day, there's a chance they would feel the benefits but none of it is a fact, and few appreciate the pure cocoa or dark chocolate. 

It is true that sugar or chocolate can not "reason" acne or other skin rashes, surely they can make an existing condition worsened. Antioxidants found in cocoa beans are also found in fruit and tea. If someone needs to take advantage of the antioxidant properties of chocolate, so pure cocoa needs to be consumed, and the thought makes fruit and tea more appealing. Moreover, prevention of heart disease and cancer is not a fact, all studies say chocolate "could" prevent the body from succumbing to degenerative diseases. Isolated in the laboratory, flavonoids and catechins of chocolate is effective to regulate the circulatory system, but chocolate also contains copper which is a natural inhibitor of flavonoids. 

Increasing copper concentrations in the body lowers the sulfur content, an essential ingredient in maintaining healthy bones. Lower sulfur content in the body increases the risk of osteoporosis and degenerating cartilage. It can also affect memory and concentration over time. 

Recent research says that most chocolate lovers are more prone to depression than those who consume moderate amounts of chocolate or deletion. Again, this is not yet a fact. 

Sugar - the problem of Chocolate 

Addition of sugar to the cocoa is what makes chocolate "unhealthy" and also very tasty. There are sufficient studies showing sugar to worsen heart disease, inflammatory conditions, immune disorders, mood swings, yeast infections, osteoporosis, obesity and dental caries among others. Together with carbohydrates in chocolate, sugar helps to be awake, lifting energy and to a certain extent gives relief from pain. But unfortunately also causes weight gain. 

The sugar in chocolate also increases the need for chromium in the body and changes the natural balance of copper and chromium. This increases the chances of bone loss trabecular, blood sugar disorders and inflammatory conditions such as tonsil infections and arthritis. Chocoholics normally tested positive for high concentrations of copper in the body and elevated VLDL triglycerides because of their high sugar intake. 

Chocolate was meant as a "sinful pleasure" food of the gods. To continue to be so, it seems best that it be eaten in casual amount. Moderation is key, as it is in the consumption of alcohol. In this way, although there are too many health benefits, at least there will be almost no damage to the body either, and chocolate may remain the most desirable food there ever was.