Tag Archive: chocolate research
Chocolate Craving Mysteries Debunked
September 19, 2014
Chocolate candy bars can naturally contain chemicals that simulate everything from coffee to marijuana, which can be a good excuse as to why we crave it. It will always be a mystery that we are unable to abstain from it, yes? No. This research shows we are simply greedy.
Eat Chocolate Cake Without The Guilt
December 20, 2013
Studies have shown that people who eat sweet treats with an attitude of celebration are more likely to stay fit compared with those who are often plagued with guilt after eating. Those who experience guilt are more likely to gain some unwanted pounds.
This study was published in the current online edition of the journal Appetite, and it shows that how we see treats, such as chocolate cake, is just as important as its caloric value when it comes down to expanding waistlines.
Violent Video Games and Chocolate
December 13, 2013
This particular research took place in Italy, involving 170 teenagers showing their skills in a violent video game, like Grand Theft Auto III, or a non-violent game like MiniGolf 3D, in a span of 45 minutes. A bowl of chocolate was beside the gaming console while they were playing. They knew they could eat the candies, albeit they were told that it was unhealthy to devour so much chocolates in a short period of time.
Those who played violent video games ate three times as much chocolates as those who played non-violent ones. After playing, the participants went through a 10-item logic test where they got one ticket for a prize raffle for every question they answered correctly. After learning the number of answers they got right, they were told to get the corresponding number of tickets from an envelope while not being watched.
Eat Chocolate And Lose Body Fat
November 15, 2013
Based on the studies done by the researchers from the University of Granada in Spain, European adolescents who eat chocolate on a regular basis, even those who weren’t necessarily going on a diet or exercising, tend to be slimmer.
1,458 teenagers aged between 12 and 17 in nine European countries, including Spain and the UK were the subjects of this particular research. Turns out, those who are fans of chocolate and consume a lot of it had lower body fat.
Furthermore, those teenagers who swear by chocolate had better circulation, blood pressure and heart health. The study was published in Journal Nutrition. However, it wasn’t specified what they deemed “high chocolate consumption.”
Mood-enhancing Dark Chocolate
May 24, 2013
A recently published study in Australia claimed that dark chocolate enhances one’s mood by means of boosting calmness and feelings of contentment. How is this possible? It’s all in the polyphenols that cocoa is known to be rich in.
Polyphenols are naturally found in plants and are a basic element of the human diet. Such compounds are proven to lessen oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is linked to a lot of diseases. Also, polyphenols are said to have outstanding psychological effects.
“Anecdotally, chocolate is often linked to mood enhancement,” Matthew Pase, a PhD candidate at the University of Swineburne in Melbourne and lead author of the study, claims. “This clinical trial is perhaps the first to scientifically demonstrate the positive effects of cocoa polyphenols on mood.”
Chocolate and Acne
April 26, 2013
Researchers at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands, collected blood samples from seven participants before and after consuming exactly 48 g of chocolate on a daily basis. This happened consecutively for four days.
The chocolate consumed had approximately 30% cocoa. The blood cells collected were then exposed to bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes.
These bacteria are said to be a contributory factor for developing acne when they grown inside clogged pores. When it happens, the pores become inflamed. It leads to growth of Staphylococcus aureus, which is another type of skin bacteria that could worsen acne.
The blood cells produced more interleukin-1b after the participants had chocolate. Interleukin-1b refers to a marker of immune system inflammation when they were exposed to Propionibacterium acnes.
The researchers claimed that such findings indicated that eating chocolate may increase the inflammation which adds up to acne. Chocolate consumption also increased production of another immune system factor, known as interleukin 10, after having been exposed to Staphylococcus aureus, according to a report at MyHealthNewsDaily.
Interleukin 10 allegedly lowers the immunity against microorganisms. That being said, higher levels of interleukin 10 may end up in conditions that would pave way for bacteria to infect pimples, and aggravate them, according to the researchers.
Despite the many talks about chocolate and some other foods that are linked to acne, little is known as evidence to show they actually cause acne, said Dr. Kanade Shinkai, a dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, who has acne treatments as specialty.
However, past studies have shown that high-glycemic foods, like white bread, could be associated with acne. This is because they are known to release sugar into the bloodstream rather quickly. While the acne problems of some people are affected by diet, others’ acne issues are not influenced by diet at all.
Shinkai made a warning against broad dietary restrictions, like avoiding diary, considering dairy products are significant sources of calcium and vitamin D for a lot of people, and the health advantages that come with the products outweigh the effects of acne, she claimed.
This research was published in the journal Cytokine.