The statement of a few people that chocolates can make you addicted as well as run the risk of increasing your weight may be too excessive. In fact, people have been using chocolates for its medicinal qualities in the olden times. The Mayans and the Aztecs drunk chocolate drinks to boost their energy. The Europeans and the South Americans cured themselves of diarrhea with chocolates as well.
Researchers have not reached a conclusion yet between the good or bad debate on eating chocolates. So is the case with finding out the main ingredient in chocolates that make people crave for them. An average American wolf down about 12 pounds of chocolates each year.
Joie de vivre
There seems to be some truth in the statement of chocoholics when they claim that their energy levels and humor are restored when they consume chocolates. These effects are the immediate results of eating chocolates due to the presence of alkaloids like phenethylamine (PEA) and theobromine in chocolates.
In the 80’s, a book on love and chemistry noted that the PEA, just like love in a person’s life, made people experience a love high. The media went crazy over this statement and christened PEA the “love chemical” and even went on to declare that lowered PEA levels were accountable for melancholy.
It has been proven that PEA and theobromine influence the heart beats, blood pressure and a person’s emotions. This is the same theobromine that is present in cocoa beans used to make chocolate candies that can stimulate humans like caffeine does but not as powerfully.
Tryptophan, which is present in chocolates, also precedes the creation of serotonin, famously called as the happy hormone. Serotonin is responsible for managing our appetite, sleep, mood, anger, libido, and even a few of brain’s functions like memory and learning. If the serotonin levels are depressed, then it also causes sadness in humans.
A healthy heart
Theobromine is good for heart’s health and it even frees the passage of constricted veins so that blood flows through them smoothly.
Flavanoids of plants protect them from toxins and similarly, flavanoids in chocolates, with their anti-oxidant qualities protect us humans from free radicals. Production of eiconsanoids, a hormone-like compound, is also enabled by flavanoids; these hormone-like compounds enhance heart fitness.
Dark chocolates are also known for their anti-oxidant qualities because of the liberal dose of epicatechin in them. Epicatechin, along with, gallic acidboth flavanoids in dark chocolatescan keep your heart fit. Blood pressure is regulated as well alongside improved blood circulation.
Eating chocolates within limits on a regular basis therefore will go a long way in keeping your mental and physical health in great shape.
