9 little-known facts about chocolate Bashny.Net

   


Fact # 1.On coughing and cases of poisoning by chocolate

In the seeds of the cocoa contains the substance theobromine, it opened in 1841, the Russian scientist Aleksandr Voskresenskiy. In addition to cocoa beans, theobromine more almost never occurs (even its name: from the Latin name "chocolate tree" Theobroma cacao).



Theobromine belongs to the group of alkaloids, these substances can have strong physiological effects on the body (morphine, caffeine, nicotine, quinine, cocaine, etc.). In the composition of chocolate is theobromine are usually mistaken for caffeine, as they have a similar structure. The caffeine in cocoa beans contrary to the myth, not so much — from 0.06 to 0.4 %.

 

Recent studies have shown that theobromine is more effective against coughs than codeine, and, unlike the latter, does not cause addiction. Theobromine can reduce the excitation of the vagus nerve, which triggers the cough reflex.

 

Theobromine is toxic, but its content in chocolate is too small to cause poisoning. For the threat of a lethal outcome need to eat more than 5 pounds of milk chocolate. If the day to eat 50-100 g of pure cocoa powder (about 0.8–1.5 g theobromine) can cause excessive sweating and severe headache.

 

But for dogs, chocolate is indeed a real threat. Animals metabolize theobromine much slower than humans (the half — life of about 17.5 hours). Theobromine stimulates the Central nervous system causes the heart muscle to contract faster. As a result, a dog has diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps, seizures and breathing problems. On the National Geographic website there is a convenient scheme by which it is possible to calculate a dangerous portion of chocolate for a dog of a specific breed.

 

Fact # 2. On the heart and blood vessels

 

Chocolate can reduce blood pressure because it contained flavonol. These substances increase the level of nitric oxide in the body, this action dilates blood vessels, causing the pressure decreases. However, the effect although reliable, but is not very noticeable that the numbers will be less by about 2-3 points.

 

Also, chocolate can prevent the development of coronary heart disease. One of the main factors of the deterioration of patients — cholesterol oxidation. Low-density lipoproteins, containing cholesterol, tend to "stick" to artery walls, which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. Flavonols also help prevent the oxidation process. According to a study published in the American journal of clinical nutrition, add 16 g of dark chocolate in your daily diet in order to reduce the oxidation of cholesterol.

 

Another plus polyphenols: they can prevent adhesion of platelets in the blood, in other words — effectively thin the blood. Thinning of the blood reduces the chance of blood clots and the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

 

A recent study has proved that dark chocolate works as an anti-inflammatory for the cardiovascular system. Cocoa powder contains, in addition to polyphenols, a small amount of dietary fiber. All of these components practically are not digested, but when they reach the colon, they begin to break down there living the good germs. Dietary fiber thus fermented and the large polyphenolic polymers are metabolised to smaller and more absorbable molecules. These small molecules and possess anti-inflammatory activity.

 

Fact # 3. On the chocolate diet

 

As it turned out recently, the more chocolate you eat, the slimmer you become. During the experiment with the participation of 972 volunteers with overweight revealed that those who consumed chocolate at least two times a week, became a lower body mass index (value, allowing to evaluate the compliance of the masses of people to its growth, — is used to assess the degree of obesity). Scientists have suggested that this result provided the same polyphenols — they are able to accelerate the metabolic process in the body. But it is necessary to make a reservation: preference should give dark chocolate. First, milk contains more sugar, and secondly, the bitter taste reduces appetite, while sweet, on the contrary, it stimulates.

 

Fact # 4. About diabetes

 

The myth that chocolate is extremely harmful for diabetes patients, it is very common. But in fact, bitter dark chocolate, where the cocoa content of not less than 70 %, has a low glycemic index (22) and, therefore, will not significantly affect the increase of sugar level in the blood. But for patients with diabetes of the 2nd type of chocolate may even be beneficial. To such conclusion experts from the University of East Anglia and king's College London after a large-scale study involving 2,000 volunteers. The risk of diabetes of the 2nd type is increased with insulin resistance (reduction or complete absence of the effects of insulin, which regulates glucose levels in the blood). Eating foods with high levels of anthocyanins (another "kind of flavonoids"), including bitter dark chocolate reduces insulin resistance.

 

Fact # 5. About kidney stones

 

Solid formations in the kidneys are composed of crystals, which "settled" in the process of urine formation. Most popular "building blocks" for stones are oxalates salts of oxalic acid. Oxalates are in many foods, but only nine levels are really high. The chocolate in this list are: 100 g of cocoa on average of 400 mg of oxalates. So for those who have a tendency (genetic predisposition, frequent urinary tract infections, digestive problems), to the formation of kidney stones, doctors recommend eliminating chocolate from my diet. Also not recommended are beets, spinach, rhubarb, strawberries, nuts, wheat bran and all dry beans (fresh, canned or cooked), except for green beans and tea.

 

Studies have shown that there is a more realistic way to deal with kidney stones. When the wastes filtered by the kidneys, more crystals than a liquid, these crystals start to "mate" with other elements to form kidney stones. A classic case — the coupling of oxalate with calcium. Therefore, to reduce the risk of formation of kidney stones, the need to exclude certain foods from the diet. You can try to combine food rich in oxalates, foods rich in calcium. Then the Union of these two substances will occur in the process of digestion, and not in the process of filtering the blood, so the chance of formation of renal stones is significantly reduced.

 

Fact # 6. About allergies to chocolate

 

Allergic to cocoa beans occurs so rarely that experts still can not determine whether this phenomenon in principle. The staff of the American College of Allergy, asthma and immunology say that only 4% of adults have food allergies. From this small number of 90% respond to one or more of the eight popular products: milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, shellfish and fish. All these allergens (except the last two) are often found in chocolate and can cause an allergic reaction. The most popular symptoms — migraine, itching or swelling of the mouth, tongue or lips, skin reactions, abdominal pain, nausea, cough, dizziness, pressure drop.

 

Fact # 7. Antioxidants

 

Many of the beneficial properties of chocolate can be attributed to the action of the beneficial antioxidants in its composition. But milk chocolate is several times smaller. And the scientists were able to explain why. Antioxidant activity of flavonoids is reduced under the influence of milk — that is, it "absorbs" the antioxidants. To the level of antioxidants in plasma were the same, milk chocolate study participants had to eat two times more than the bitter. And, most importantly, if there is a bitter chocolate with a milk (200 ml / 100 g of chocolate is sufficient), this significantly reduces his favor.

 

Fact # 8. About happiness

 

Chocolate really can make a person more happy on a physical level. This product contains the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide, which acts on a separate receptor in the brain in the same way as cannabinoids (marijuana and hashish). Reaction, of course, will not be as strong, but similar symptoms: a feeling of mild euphoria, relaxation, reduced pain threshold. Also in chocolate in small quantities contains the substance phenylethylamine — is it our brain starts to actively produce in a state of love.

 

Fact # 9. About the carob

 

Carob is the fruit of the evergreen carob tree. Grinded into powder, carob tastes like chocolate, while traditionally considered to be a more useful alternative. In its composition, in contrast to cocoa beans the amount of toxic theobromine and "pathogen"-caffeine tends to zero. But judging by other parameters, the advantages are not so obvious. The caloric value of the carob is higher than that of cocoa powder (347 vs 289 kcal per 100g). The increased sugar level is also higher — about 40 %, while in dark chocolate, only 23% of sugar.





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