How is chocolate useful? It contains a lot of valuable minerals and antioxidants. Chocolate prevents ageing and helps relieve depression and insomnia.
7 reasons to indulge yourself in chocolate that will help you stop beating yourself for every bite you eat.
Positive emotions
Cocoa butter, which is used to make chocolate, is rich in phenylethylamine. This is a useful hormone: it is also synthesized by the human body. It doesn’t do any harm – it’s a chemical that your brain releases when you’re in love. Phenylethylamine releases endorphins and stimulates the production of serotonin . In some countries, it is sourced from cocoa and sold in pharmacies as a powerful antidepressant.
Cheerfulness
It looks like a cup of coffee or black tea has a serious competitor. Chocolate is rich in theobromine, which can also be found in tea leaves and coffee beans. It gives the cocoa beans a recognizable bitter flavor. Along with caffeine, theobromine has an aphrodisiac effect. It boosts mood, invigorates and helps you collect your thoughts. In medicine, this substance is used as an antispasmodic.
Easing PMS Symptoms
Milk and dark chocolate contain magnesium. The need for it increases before menstruation. Magnesium relaxes muscles and even relieves cramps. It is a mineral that soothes the symptoms of PMS and fights pulling pains. 10 g of chocolate contains 1/6 of the daily value of magnesium.
Coping with caffeine addiction
For many, the desire to break the habit of drinking several cups of coffee a day is of the utmost importance. Bitter chocolate will help to do this. Keep a few slices handy to feast on when thinking about a latte or espresso.
Prevention of insomnia
L-tryptophan from cocoa beans is considered an amino acid related to serotonin. Its effect on the human body has been compared to melatonin. L-tryptophan calms the nervous system and causes mild drowsiness. Chocolate normalizes natural sleep phases and makes it easier to fall asleep.
Anti-age effect
The more cocoa in chocolate, the more actively it prevents aging and suppresses the processes of chronic inflammation. Responsible for this are polyphenols – antioxidants that prolong life and rejuvenate the skin. They also work as neuroprotective agents, protecting brain cells and increasing reaction speed.
Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Eating chocolate lowers blood pressure and thins the blood . This is necessary to prevent strokes and heart attacks. It is rich in flavonoids that increase the elasticity of blood vessels and dilate them.
