It often happens that in stressful situations we feel an irresistible need for a chocolate cube. This is by no means accidental – this candy contains magnesium, which is necessary for situations that require great psychophysical efforts. But you need to know how to consume this delicacy and what else to expect from it.

It is necessary, in the first place, to allow the chocolate to melt slightly on the tongue. In addition, you should pay attention to the amount that is ingested during the day, because 100 grams of chocolate contain as many as 550 calories.

Therefore, be careful unless you want to gain weight and negatively affect the amount of sugar in your blood. On the other hand, believe it or not, chocolate has relaxing and in some situations even healing properties. Let’s look at what the consumption and use of chocolate contribute to:

Chocolate protects the cells of the body

The basic ingredient of every chocolate is cocoa. Cocoa is rich in flavonoids, secondary plant substances that protect cells from free radicals, strengthen the heart and significantly slow down cell ageing. This substance is, therefore, a strong antioxidant, and is recommended in the diet.

A higher percentage of cocoa in chocolate contributes to its darker colour, which is a sign of its impact on health. The darker the chocolate, the better for health. All chocolates with more than 50 per cent cocoa are considered highly recommended for consumption.

Chocolate improves mood

All “chocoholics” have long noticed that after consuming chocolate, their mood and sense of happiness significantly improve. Serotonin, a hormone of happiness that is secreted due to the protein tryptophan, whose concentration in the blood directly depends on a specific combination of fats and carbohydrates from chocolate, contributes to such a feeling.

The more serotonin in the blood, the greater the feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Therefore, chocolate can cause a kind of addiction in the consumer. Basically, the only consequence of this sweet addiction can be weight gain and the potential for blood sugar problems.

To prevent potential problems, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of chocolate to a reasonable level – a maximum of 50 grams per day and that dark, dark chocolate, with a high percentage of cocoa. There are also so-called diet chocolates that do not contain classic sugars. They can be found in health food stores and pharmacies (intended for diabetics).

Bathing in chocolate

Of course, it is impossible to melt large quantities of chocolate, pour it into a bathtub and bathe in it. The chocolate bath is made from chocolate-based oils (cocoa extracts), so vanilla and almond and sunflower oils are added. The bath prepared in this way affects muscle relaxation, is beneficial for the skin, relaxes and hydrates it. It is recommended that you apply chocolate-based body oil after the chocolate bath.

Chocolate stimulates

Cocoa contains caffeine and theobromine. These two substances have been proven to have a stimulating effect on humans. The amount of only 50 grams of cocoa has about 200 milligrams of these substances, which is twice as much as it is in one cup of coffee.

If you want to avoid excessive calorie intake, dissolve the cocoa in two decilitres of warm water instead of milk. Add one teaspoon of cocoa to this amount of water and stir until completely melted. Do not add sugar, if possible.

Chocolate in the fight against hypertension

Believe it or not, high blood pressure can be regulated by consuming chocolate, more precisely its basic ingredient – cocoa. The substance that can be found in cocoa is polyphenols (also the most powerful natural antioxidant), whose action in the body affects the dilation of tight blood vessels.

In itself, that means their expansion, which directly affects the lowering of the pressure in them. Of course, one should not expect that consuming chocolate can significantly lower blood pressure – for something like that, it is necessary to visit a doctor and follow his instructions and therapy.

To maintain the pressure with its slight reduction, it is recommended to consume one bar of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa once a day. Once again, keep in mind that chocolate is NOT a substitute for drugs that lower blood pressure. It is just a good supplement that increases the effectiveness of pharmaceutical products.