UltraPing Blog

Chocolate is really addicting, that’s why so many people out there crave for chocolate even though they believe that it could be bad for their health. Once they gain weight and earn extra fats on their bellies and hips, they will try to blame it all on chocolates.

Way back, when being thin wasn’t equated with good health, chocolates were very essential because of its medicinal value. The Maya and Aztec civilizations then required their soldiers to drink chocolate before they went off to wars because they believed that the drink could help eliminate weakness and fatigue. It has also been a long time cure for South Americans and Europeans against diarrhea.

There have been so many studies conducted to learn the bad and good effects of chocolate to one’s health. Scientists are keen to discover the substances that compose chocolates and the reason behind why people craved so much of this tempting food. In fact, in the US alone, the ordinary Joe feasted on 12 pounds of it every year.

Chocolate lovers confess that eating their favorite chocolate confectioneries helped boost their energy and lent cheer to their day. Many proofs have shown that these emotional high could be caused by the two alkaloids, theobromine and phenethylamine (PEA).

In 1983, in the famous book, Chemistry of Love opined that the outcome produced by the PEA in chocolate was similar to that of the emotional high one gets when one’s in love. The media pounced on this interesting tidbit and began publicizing PEA as some sort of love chemical. They even believed that lack of PEA levels in the body could be the reason behind depression.

PEA and theobromine do work together to help increase blood pressure and heart rate, that much is certain. Theobromine resembles the effect of caffeine in coffee, but only milder.

One substance that chocolate has, called tryptophan, helps in producing serotonin which is also called by most as the happy hormone. Serotonin is used by the brain to control emotions and activities like hunger, sleep, mood, anger, and even sexual desire. Depression is also said to be due to a limited supply of serotonin in the body.

Chocolate is also beneficial to blood pressure and heart health primarily because of the theobromine. Theobromine is now used in modern medicine as vasodilator or stimulator to broaden narrowed veins, done to induce normal blood flow.

Chocolates also have substances called flavanoids; this one is responsible for eliminating the effects brought about by the free radicals inside the body. Plants and chocolates contain flavanoids and when consumed, a person can also benefit from the anti-oxidant powers that they possess.

See how healthy chocolates are, so indulge in your cravings and be healthy. Take advantage of the enjoyable and healthy experience you will get in making chocolate candy or in eating chocolate. Just remember to keep your cravings in moderation.