Chocolate is healthy, right?
This Free and Inspired radio episode will look at how chocolate and its ingredients got their healthy reputation.
The Mayans presented what we now know as “hot chocolate” to Emperor Moctezuma II as the “Food of the Gods” by the Aztecs.
In fact, the Latin name for chocolate, Theobroma cacao L., means Food of the Gods!
Ever since the seventh century, the medicinal qualities of cocoa and chocolate have been of benefit to angina and heart pain.
This benefit could be down to the minerals found in chocolate.
A well-known fact is the mineral profile of chocolate is tailor-made for the veins and arteries in the cardiovascular system.
For example, dietary sources of magnesium, potassium, copper and calcium can all reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and a blocked heart.
Scientists have found bioactive chemicals in chocolate called plant phenols or polyphenols that also create these benefits.
The high concentration of polyphenols gives unprocessed cocoa the extremely, almost inedible bitter taste.
Bioactive compounds in chocolate benefit metabolism, inflammation and the cardiovascular system.
For example, Philip introduces one group of compounds that influence inflammation and how polyphenols in chocolate can regulate their release for your benefit.
For instance, chocolate and the polyphenols may reduce the inflammation in your brain.
Chocolate might help with stress!
People in a study using a high polyphenol dark chocolate saw their total cortisol and morning cortisol reduce in four weeks.
Cocoa phenols from dark chocolate improve cognition in both younger and older adults.
In the final part of the show, Philip looks deeper into how chocolate interacts with the brain.
For example, did you know one study found that people eat more chocolate when they listen to sad music?
All this and more in this episode of Free and Inspired radio.
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