Smart chocolate choices for a healthy heart
Chocolate is not only a favorite snack of many people but also brings many health benefits if you know how to "eat it right." Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, incredibly dark chocolate with high cocoa content and antioxidants, low in fat, so it can be considered a healthy food.
6/7/2021 11:42:26 PM
The article was advised and shared by Dr. Phung Ngoc Minh Tan, Cardiology Department of CarePlus International Clinic System.
BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE
- Improve mood, create excitement, reduce stress
- Helps lower blood pressure and fight inflammation
- Helps prevent bad cholesterol from oxidizing, so it does not cause narrowing of the arteries; even stearic acid in chocolate increases good cholesterol.
- Has a soothing effect on a cough that few people know about
- Good for brain
HOW TO EAT CHOCOLATE?
Chocolate is rich in flavonoids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, which are beneficial for health. However, if you want the chocolate to bring beneficial effects, you need to keep a few principles in mind:
1. Choose dark chocolate with 70-90% cocoa content
Milk chocolate has a lot of sugar. In contrast, chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa has less sugar and more saturated fat. So 70-90% is reasonable.
2. Should choose the original type - only cocoa, no other fillings like almonds, raisins
The fillings will increase the amount of sugar and calories significantly. If you want a fruity taste, eat chocolate and fresh grapes instead of raisins.
3. Choose zero trans fat
Transfat destroys the aforementioned beneficial effects of chocolate. Most major brands will specify the transfat ratio. If there is no transfat ratio, you should ignore that type. Chocolate always has a certain amount of saturated fat, so don't overeat.
Chocolate has many beneficial substances, but you have to eat a lot to get enough fiber and flavonoids. In general, you are consuming a large amount of sugar and saturated fat. Therefore, it is enough to eat only 10-15g/day in moderation and add fiber and antioxidants from other foods such as strawberries, apples, grapes, a little wine. This combination is both low in calories and delicious.