Chocolate has a pretty bad reputation, but it is mainly because we mainly eat light, sweet chocolate. Most people know that dark chocolate is better. The advantage of dark chocolate is that you do not eat as much. Like nitrate-rich vegetables, dark chocolate is bitter and bitter taste is nature's signal that it is toxic.
British scientists wanted to find out if dark chocolate could produce a similar increase, since dark chocolate contains a substance called epikatechin - a type of flavonoid found in cocoa beans that activates genes that turn up nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is a versatile gas that causes the blood vessels to relax, which allows an increased flow of blood and oxygen to the heart, brain and muscles.
To test the theory, a group of nine cyclists was divided into two groups. The first group replaced their daily snacks with 40 grams of dark chocolate, while the second group ate 40 grams of white chocolate. They served as a control group.
The effects of the contestants' daily chocolate consumption were then measured in a series of tests where the researchers measured heart rate and oxygen consumption. Then the groups switched so that those who had previously eaten dark chocolate went over to white chocolate and vice versa.
The study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, showed that dark chocolate reduced oxygen consumption and improved performance as they cycled as far as they could for two minutes.
One difference between Westerners and the Kuna Indians is that Westerners suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Over 20 years ago, Norman Hollenberg, a professor at Harvard Medical School, concluded that it was because the Indians drank five cups of chocolate a day. According to Hollenberg, cocoa can reduce the risk of dementia and heart disease. The cause is believed to be an increased blood flow thanks to cocoa.
In the early 1990s, Hollenberg was in search of genes that could protect people from high blood pressure. Hollenberg sought a group of people where high blood pressure was unusual. Then he could compare their genes with the genes of sicker groups. The Kuna Indians seemed perfect for this purpose. They had lived relatively isolated for 500 years and were not affected by heart disease. But when Hollenberg tested the Native Americans who moved to the mainland and the cities, it turned out that they were as sick as Westerners. So it wasn't the Indians' genes that protected them. There must be environmental factors on the islands. Hollenberg began to investigate what the islanders ate and drank. The big difference, according to H ol lenberg, was chocolate consumption .
Women and Chocolate
It is said that women feel more craving for chocolate than men (ie compared to men, not that women prefer chocolate to men ??). A study shows that 40 percent of women feel cravings for chocolate, while only 15 percent of men feel the same craving. According to one theory, this is because chocolate contains substances that keep women's hormonal systems and brain in balance. It is known, for example, that the levels of the brain feel good hormone Serotonin is low during PMS and that chocolate can increase the production of serotonin and of endorphins, which increases the feeling of well-being. It also does exercise, but eating chocolates is easier than running.Better than beetroot juice?
A study conducted recently at London's Kingston University shows that dark chocolate - like beetroot juice - may lead to better running performance. Beetroot juice contains a lot of nitrate which - in a rather complicated process - is converted to nitric oxide which widenes blood vessels and reduces oxygen consumption - which increases performance.British scientists wanted to find out if dark chocolate could produce a similar increase, since dark chocolate contains a substance called epikatechin - a type of flavonoid found in cocoa beans that activates genes that turn up nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is a versatile gas that causes the blood vessels to relax, which allows an increased flow of blood and oxygen to the heart, brain and muscles.
To test the theory, a group of nine cyclists was divided into two groups. The first group replaced their daily snacks with 40 grams of dark chocolate, while the second group ate 40 grams of white chocolate. They served as a control group.
The effects of the contestants' daily chocolate consumption were then measured in a series of tests where the researchers measured heart rate and oxygen consumption. Then the groups switched so that those who had previously eaten dark chocolate went over to white chocolate and vice versa.
The study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, showed that dark chocolate reduced oxygen consumption and improved performance as they cycled as far as they could for two minutes.
Useful with chocolate?
Chocolate also contains small amounts of caffeine, a toxic substance that the tea, coffee and cocoa plant develops independently of each other to protect themselves against herbivores and to attract pollinators by making them dependent. In small doses, caffeine is useful, sharpens the senses and the memory - it applies to both bees and humans. In large doses it is a poison. Caffeine equivalent to 3-4 coffee cups is said to be optimal. With regard to chocolate, however, the researchers have so far been more focused on the flavonoids in cocoa, the reason for which is, among other things, a study on the Kuna Indians living on a few islands outside Panama.One difference between Westerners and the Kuna Indians is that Westerners suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Over 20 years ago, Norman Hollenberg, a professor at Harvard Medical School, concluded that it was because the Indians drank five cups of chocolate a day. According to Hollenberg, cocoa can reduce the risk of dementia and heart disease. The cause is believed to be an increased blood flow thanks to cocoa.
In the early 1990s, Hollenberg was in search of genes that could protect people from high blood pressure. Hollenberg sought a group of people where high blood pressure was unusual. Then he could compare their genes with the genes of sicker groups. The Kuna Indians seemed perfect for this purpose. They had lived relatively isolated for 500 years and were not affected by heart disease. But when Hollenberg tested the Native Americans who moved to the mainland and the cities, it turned out that they were as sick as Westerners. So it wasn't the Indians' genes that protected them. There must be environmental factors on the islands. Hollenberg began to investigate what the islanders ate and drank. The big difference, according to H ol lenberg, was chocolate consumption .
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