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Chocolate: Life’s guilty pleasure – or is it? |
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Like every other special occasion, celebrating Easter has become synonymous with
celebrating one of the world’s favourite indulgences: chocolate.
It just seems so harmless. Moulded into cute bunny shapes and giant eggs, decorated
with irresistible festive touches and hidden round the house by the magical Easter
Bunny - we eagerly gobble it up by the basket load!
But this isn’t the only time we give into temptation.
Although we love a good excuse
to tuck into the sweet stuff - most of us indulge quite regularly anyway.
In fact, a data monitor report suggests that the average Brit consumes over 10kg
of chocolate a year. That makes us the biggest chocolate consumers in Europe, with
the Irish coming in a close second at around 8.2kg. What’s that equivalent to in
the average body weight? A leg? An arm? Now, that’s a lot of chocolate.
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So, being one of life’s guilty pleasures, we were curious to find out - how much
do we actually have to feel guilty about? Does chocolate have any legitimate health
benefits?
And does it genuinely have addictive properties so powerful that we are
helpless but to act on them…
Now, with insight from Jane Freeman, a Registered Dietician and Nutritionist, we
examine the deepest, darkest depths of our relationship with chocolate to understand
what it does for us, and how we can enjoy it better.
Chocolate and your body
The good news is - chocolate does have health benefits! This is thanks to the high
content of flavanoids; a plant compound with potent antioxidant properties. So far,
scientists have identified more than 4,000 kinds of flavanoids. Those found specifically
in cocoa beans are called flavonois, but flavanoids can also be found in red wine,
tea, cranberries, peanuts, strawberries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables.
Dark chocolate usually has the highest flavonols content; whereas milk and
white chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate syrup loses more during the manufacturing
process. But what exactly does it do? Flavonols in cocoa prevents fat-like substances
in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, making blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots.
Studies suggest that eating dark chocolate, as part of a balanced diet, may support
your health. In a 15-person study, a group of Italian researchers found 100g of
dark chocolate per day for 15 days lowered blood pressure and improved the body’s
ability to metabolise sugar. Other studies have found another substance in cocoa
that helps
the body process nitric oxide (NO), which is a compound critical for
healthy blood flow and blood
pressure.
While this is good news for chocoholics, the research conducted is small scale and
comes with the caution that chocolate is still high in saturated fat and calories,
which may negate the positive effects of antioxidants.
Chocolate and calories
Unfortunately, the price you pay for off-the-scale eating pleasure is off-the-scale
calories. Chocolate is very high in fat (blame it on the cocoa butter, but that’s
what gives it that glorious ‘melt in your mouth’ texture) and sugar. So the calorie
hit for a 100g chocolate bar is enormous at around 540 cal, with 31g fat and 58g
sugar. The difference between white, dark and milk varieties is minimal, so unless
you’re planning to visit the gym this Easter, you need to limit your chocolate egg
feast to keep from packing on the extra pounds.
Chocolate and cravings
Do you feel powerless against the power of chocolate? Well, let’s look at the science.
Chocolate does contain numerous ‘feel-good’ chemicals associated with addictive
behaviours, namely phenylethylamine (PEA) and theobromine, which are associated
with feelings of being in love, plus caffeine. However, you would need to eat about
1kg per day to absorb the chemical levels needed to feel any effects. Furthermore,
controlled studies show that chocolate doesn’t effect the brain the way other addictive
substances do, and that any euphoric feeling from eating chocolate may be better
explained by the pleasurable taste, feel, and melt in your mouth sensation.
How to enjoy chocolate better
- Chocolate cravings usually strike when you haven’t eaten enough during the day and
you hit a sugar low. That’s why it’s important to fill up on grains, fruits, vegetables,
and lean protein foods to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, which keeps you feeler
fuller longer, so you don’t need a big sugar fix. Then, if you still fancy a little
chocolate indulgence, you’ll be able to savour the moment – not binge to excess.
- There are plenty of ways to satisfy your taste for chocolate without actually tucking into a bar. Other alternatives include: good quality dark drinking chocolate mixed
with skim milk or soya, low calorie chocolate dairy desserts, or even a drizzle
of chocolate sauce over fresh fruit.
- If nothing else but chocolate will satisfy, don’t deprive yourself – just limit
your intake and savour each bite. It’s a good idea to opt for premium quality chocolate,
which often come in smaller portion sizes as this can help you appreciate the indulgence
even more.
- Don’t keep chocolate in the house where it is readily available to snack on. It’s
far too easy to delve in for a handful throughout the day without realising how
much you’re actually eating!
- If you find yourself incapable of stopping after a few mouthfuls of chocolate goodness,
go and brush your teeth to get the taste out of your mouth, or distract yourself
by doing something that doesn’t involve eating!
Jane Freeman is a member of Dietitians Unlimited, which is a part of the
British Dietetic Association (BDA). To find a registered dietitian in your area,
visit the Dietitians Unlimited website at
www.dietitiansunlimited.co.uk.
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