Monday 7 January 2013

Chocolate – only calories or good product for our health?


    Chocolate is a product which everyone loves. The most beneficial effect on our health has the dark chocolate which contains a lot of cacao. Milk chocolates have more sugar and other additives, filled chocolates contain more sugar and artificial colors. Biological properties of chocolate vary depending on the amount of cocoa mass within it. This amount is the greatest in bittersweet chocolate (about 75%), smaller in dessert chocolate (30-70%), while the milk chocolate contains only 25% of the chocolate mass. White chocolate is produced without any addition of cocoa mass. Cocoa chocolate contains minerals like magnesium or iron, caffeine, theothrombine, endorphins and flavonoids, vitamins (B, A and E), vegetable oil which helps to eliminate bad cholesterol.


When people eat chocolate, the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain increase which improves mental processes efficiency. The same happens to the level of endorphins – the hormones of happiness. It is certain that the chocolate helps our body to cope with stressful situations. It is due to the magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Antioxidants in chocolate may have positive effect on the circulatory system – they reduce risk of heart diseases. It is also important to know that antioxidants contained in the chocolate slow down the ageing process. It is claimed that chocolate probably also reduces insulin resistance and inhibits inflammatory activation. When we eat chocolate regularly we can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and a lot of other health complications.
On the other hand, chocolate has also a bad effect on our health. Everyone must remember that chocolate is a high-calorie and high-fat product. Nowadays more and more people are overweight, it is becoming a global problem. Also people who are allergic must be very careful because chocolate can induce allergic effects due to the presence of cocoa, nuts, seeds, milk and wheat.  People suffering from cardiovascular disease, hypertension, should avoid milk and white chocolate, due to the presence of saturated fatty acids. Milk chocolate is also harmful to the people who are lactose intolerant. Consuming chocolate in large quantities may result in headaches and migraine. To sum up, chocolate may have positive effect, but we shouldn’t eat regularly more than 2-3 lumps of chocolate a day.




QUESTIONS :

Do you like chocolate ?
Do you think that chocolate is healthy ?

      PICTURE/FILMS:
      
   http://papilot1.mykmyk.pl/img/660/0/shake_czekoladowy.jpg 
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj8n9qFr_c8
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPk75XeAles

SOURCE : - Wartość odżywcza wybranych produktów spożywczych i typowych potraw – „Hanna Kunachowicz” - Dieta czekoladowa – Ruth Moscher

12 comments:

  1. I love chocolate, sometimes I can eat a chocolate bar in one day, but I know it's not healthy to the end, so such a frenzy rarely allow myself. As you wrote in your presentation, chocolate can have a positive impact on us, but not always. Luckily I belong to a person who is not allergic to any of the ingredients of chocolate, tolerate lactose, I have no problems with being overweight, so I reach for chocolate a few times a week

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  2. I love chocolate in any form and of any kind. I think the main advantage is a fast improving mood and energy boost. As for the nutritional value of chocolate that has a redirect to the experts: my uncle and aunt wikipedia google :-)

    I think that is healthy, but you can not to exaggerate with the amount. Everything is for people who know their limitations. I know people who are allergic to chocolate, and they can not eat in any form. Therefore, I believe that common sense is the best advisor in this matter.

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  3. 1. We can judge a person by a dessert he/ she chooses. I have a sweet tooth,hence, always pick a pudding for my dessert. I am not interested in plate of cheese or fruit. I love chocolate and any type of dessert that it is sweet. However,I do not use chocolate as my aid when feeling down or unhappy. I enjoy to eat chocolate because of the flavour and taste so I know when enough is enough.
    2. I think there is nothing wrong with eating chocolate as long as people control themselves and do not exaggerate consuming it in large quantities.If you eat it occasionally, it can even be good for you. It is all about self-control and respect for own body.

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  4. I love chocolate, especially dark with some sherry matured scotch. And if you ask me, everything is dangerous to your health if eaten in large quantities.

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  5. Oh, yes. Chocolate is one of those drugs that is legal. Fortunately, because this is the hormone of happiness. For many, the cure for all diseases, at least women like that to explain it :). For me, chocolate is contact with something pleasant. I already grew from chocolate bars and similar products but the smell of chocolate still makes me feel pleasure. Chocolate I think for many people is a placebo. The drug that treats neurological problems, not curing anything. Rational and scientific works in life, but whether it has any real medicinal properties? I doubt it. But it is stimulant, the same as coffee and tobacco. Fortunately chocolate has a greater wave of supporters and I think it makes it so unique.

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  6. Its difficult not to like chocolate. I totally agree, that it can be adictive. I think it has positive impact on us as long as we are not overweight and look healty. I eat chocolate once a week and I think its perfect amount for my health. Of course we have to seperate plain chocolate from chocolate snacks like snickers, mars etc.

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  7. Do you like chocolate ?
    It is made to be loved :) It contains a lot of sugar which is a highly addictive drug.
    Do you think that chocolate is healthy ?
    Short and simple : No. Everything which is highly processed like chocolate bars, chips, and soda drinks is bad for your health. Probably most of readers will ask why I think that, the answer is not complicated. I googled it.
    Polish wiki: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czekolada#Potencjalne_zagro.C5.BCenia_dla_zdrowia

    and this is very good article about Chocolate
    http://www.relfe.com/2009/chocolate_facts_bad_for_your_health.html

    So before you belive in anything please check it by yourself.

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  8. Probably like everyone, I do like chocolate. I also believe that it gives me more energy than coffee. What is more, I have read a lot about chocolate’s beneficial impact on our health. It reduces the risk of heart diseases. From my own experiences with eating chocolate I can agree with the statement that it makes us happier. Even for a while. There is a film entitled ‘Chocolate’ which shows how people need this product. Nevertheless, I have heard about cacao’s bad influence on our skin and I know a lot of people who agree with it because of their experience with eating products containing cacao. Moreover, it is possible to get addicted to chocolate, especially for children. This is one of the most dangerous factors that cause obesity in young age. Concluding, consuming chocolate has advantages but it can lead to illness, especially when people do not know where the boundaries are. It means that as long as we do not eat it in excess, there is no danger.

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  9. I absolutely love chocolate and I'm one of those who eat all at once. I just can't resist, so I have to be careful with chocolate.
    I dont't think it's very healthy. Maybe the dark one is better for us. Guess it's depends on how often do you eat chocolate. We have to be reasonable, but we shouldn't swear off all the pleasurable things in life :)

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  10. Sorry i went to prepare one chocolate for me... cannot comment on this topic anymore ... :)

    Yes i love chocolate it is like pizza. If you would give me 10 bars of chocolate i would eat it, 100 bars? not a problem... i would die eating 100 bars but... that would be the sweetest death you could ever imagine :)

    I have actually told my friend today, about this topic a little, i told him that he should eat some chocolate because it is the natural energy for our body and our brain. Of course the fat is nothing else but the reserve of the energy in our body. If we don't use burn/use as much energy as we get, it will accumulate in our body and then we will "grow" a little :) i'd say unhealthy is not using our energy. We should not stop eating healthy things, but we should also not stop using the energy. The sport or even 20 minutes per day, you can walk, or start not using the elevator but walk the stairs, if you have no time during the day or like most of us, you are not motivated enough to make some workout, it is ok, because you still can use your energy, doing normal things but not so comfortable. You have to move! and then you can everything you want to, and you will be healthy and happy :) i practice that and it works, you don't have to put any special effort into living like a human, walking, running sometimes because you want to jump into this bus and not the nex one, and moving.

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  11. I love chocolate, but I try not to eat it because it is very fattening. Chocolate is healthy only determines what, in terms of white chocolate that does not entail any of the body's most nutritious substances and fattening, milk is the same. However, dark chocolate that contains 70% or more cocoa is very healthy, it provides a large amount of magnesium in our body, adds a lot of energy, some scientists even claim that rejuvenates.

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  12. Oh, I do love chocolate in any form. Although I can not eat more than 1/4 of chocolate bar, but when it comes to my favorite dark chocolate I can eat more of it :) When I was young I used to train swimming and horse riding, and my dad before each competition gave me a pice of chocolate to give me more energy. Now, when I feel very tired or sad I eat chocolate to feel better. It seems to me that chocolate is healthy, especially the dark one. However, we cannot eat the whole chocolate bar but just a couple pieces of it; since too much chocolate is not healthy.

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