Also, chocolate is high in sugar and saturated fat. It is a high-energy (high calorie) food, and too much can result in excess weight, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Healthier sources of polyphenols include beans, pulses, fruit and vegetables.
According to health experts, consuming around 30-60 grams of dark chocolate per day is a healthy amount for most people. That's about two to four small squares of your favourite chocolate bar.
Increases heart health: The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of clotting and increase blood circulation to the heart, thus lowering the risks of stroke, coronary heart disease and death from heart disease.
Chocolate is high in calories, so you need to enjoy it in moderation. You can have about 1 ounce of dark chocolate no more than three times a week.
Yes, fellow chocolate lovers, it's possible to lose weight and eat chocolate every day! Will eating chocolate every day cause weight loss? Yes, eating chocolate can be part of a healthy lifestyle that promotes weight loss! However, evidence is very slim that a chocolate-focused diet would cause weight loss.
A chocolate bar is the perfect portion
Any excess energy you consume will lead to weight gain. One chocolate bar averages 250kcal. This is equivalent to 10 per cent of a man's and 12 per cent of a woman's recommended daily intake, and it's often gobbled down in a few minutes.
And even though quality dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate, it is still chocolate, meaning it's high in calories and saturated fat. To avoid weight gain, Amidor recommends eating no more than 1 ounce (oz) of dark chocolate per day.
Dark chocolate is by far the healthiest form of the treat, containing the least sugar and, because of its cocoa content, higher levels of substances that protect the body's cells.
Go for a dark chocolate or a dark coconut milk chocolate if you're looking to maximize health benefits— it's not just a lower cacao content that makes a milk chocolate less good for you. The proteins in animal milk bind to the antioxidants in chocolate, making them unavailable for your body to use.
Too much chocolate, 85 bars to be exact, results in theobromine poisoning which will give you symptoms similar to that of a caffeine overdose – trembling, excessive sweating and severe headaches. In some cases, consuming 70g of theobromine can lead to death by cardiac failure, dehydration, and seizures.
Scientists also recommend the best time to eat chocolate is earlier in the day (between 9am -11am), making chocolate a great choice for an elevenses pick-me-up, as your palate has not been tainted by other flavours from lunch – something only one in five (20%) of Brits already do.
What is junk food? Junk food is unhealthy food that includes sweet drinks, lollies, chocolates, sweet snacks, chips and crisps, crunchy snack foods, biscuits, cakes, most fast foods, pies, sausage rolls, jam and honey.
One must not eat more than 30 to 60 grams of chocolate in a day. Consuming too much chocolate will increase your daily calorie count leading to weight gain and other issues.
Dark chocolate may help improve sleep quality by increasing the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is linked to feelings of calmness and relaxation. Additionally, the antioxidants and flavanols found in dark chocolate can reduce stress levels and help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.
White chocolate is the worst – it has more calories than milk chocolate and more sugar than dark.
Dark chocolate is best for you because it's the least processed chocolate, which means it contains the highest percentage of flavonoid-filled cocoa bean (cocoa).
Eating chocolate in the morning or in the evening can influence hunger and appetite, microbiota composition, sleep and more; A high intake of chocolate during the morning hours could help to burn fat and reduce blood glucose levels. Evening/night chocolate altered next-morning resting and exercise metabolism.
Chocolate can help in reducing any stress-induced weight gain and in some cases may even motivate you to exercise more. Studies have shown that consumption of dark chocolate can help reduce overall body mass index. This is because dark chocolate has a lower amount of sugar as compared to other varieties of chocolate.
You may lose weight.
Since one regular bar of milk chocolate contains approximately 235 calories, eliminating the indulgence from your diet can result in a calorie deficit—resulting in some weight loss. (Related: Simple Ways to Start Losing Weight Immediately, According to Science.)
What happens if you eat chocolate every day? Chocolate receives a lot of bad press because of its high fat and sugar content. Its consumption could be associated with acne, obesity, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
Don't Eat: Chocolate
Even though chocolate doesn't contain much of the stuff, even a little caffeine can disturb or halt the sleep-inducing chemical processes going on in your brain and body before bedtime, he says.