The Effects of Dark Chocolate for Reducing Weight

If you’re trying to lose weight, no doubt you’ve been told to stay away from chocolate. Well, it’s time to break that taboo: Dark chocolate has benefits such as helping with weight loss, stabilizing blood sugar, controlling appetite and reducing cravings. It also tends to improve your mood, curbing your desire to consume comfort foods.

Overall Health Benefits

According to Weight Watchers, good-quality dark chocolate provides a portion of the same healthy benefits of most leafy green vegetables. When enjoyed in small quantities, dark chocolate can help lower your blood pressure, increase circulation and prevent arteriosclerosis, all very important aspects if you are obese. The flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance and prevent spikes in blood-sugar levels, discouraging you from overeating.

Improves Metabolism

A study performed at Queen Margaret University revealed promising results on how dark chocolate affects fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Dark chocolate has an impressive impact on how the body synthesizes fatty acids, thus reducing the digestion and absorption of fats and carbohydrates. As a result, the person eating chocolate experiences a feeling of satiety. The trick is to choose the right type of chocolate. Stick to dark chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cacao.

Controls Appetite

Three hormones -- insulin, ghrelin and leptin -- control appetite. Insulin controls the transfer of sugar from the bloodstream to the cells in your body. Ghrelin is produced to increase your appetite, while leptin has the opposite effect. People who are insulin-resistant lose the ability to feel full. A study performed in the Netherlands showed that dark chocolate decreased insulin resistance and lowered the levels of ghrelin. Twelve women participated in two 60-minute studies. During the first 60-minute study, all 12 women ate a 100-gram mixture of chocolate that consisted of 85 percent cacao and 12.5 grams of sugar. During the second 60-minute study, six of the women only smelled the chocolate, while the other six did not. The women who either ate or smelled the chocolate showed a drastic reduction in ghrelin and satiated appetites. No reduction in appetite or ghrelin levels was recorded for the control group.

Enhances Your Sense of Well-Being

The polyphenols in dark chocolate have a profound effect on your sense of well-being. When you feel good, you tend to eat less to seek comfort. A clinical study by Swinburne University, Australia, demonstrated how the polyphenols in dark chocolate increased calmness and a sense of contentment in those who had consumed dark chocolate for 30 days. Dark chocolate contains anandamide, a type of lipid known as “the bliss chemical.” This chemical doesn’t stick around for long because it is easily broken down. Dark chocolate, however, contains chemicals that inhibit the breakdown of this lipid, giving you a lasting sense of peace and well-being.

The Caloric Cost of Chocolate

This tasty indulgence does not come without a price. One ounce of dark chocolate containing 60 percent or more of cacao equals 170 calories. To gain the most of dark chocolate’s benefits, eat it in moderation -- two to three times per week should suffice. If your hankering for chocolate consumes your sense of reasoning, however, there is a healthy option. Try adding 1 tablespoon of raw cacao nibs, the essence from which all chocolate is derived, to yogurt and oatmeal. This quick fix is only 70 calories.

Fat Content

Dark chocolate does contain saturated fat. Not all saturated fat is bad for you, and good fats are necessary when trying to lose weight. Dark chocolate contains three types of fat: oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that lowers your cholesterol. Stearic acid, when metabolized, turns into oleic acid. Palmitic acid has been shown to raise cholesterol levels; however, when combined with oleic and stearic acid, the overall effects on cholesterol are irrelevant.

Encourages Exercise

The anti-inflammatory constituents in chocolate, combined with its generous supply of magnesium, might leave your body feeling less pain. When your body feels good, exercising is far more appealing. Enjoying an ounce of dark chocolate that contains 70 percent or more cacao with a glass of red wine at night offers pain relief. Dark chocolate’s stimulating effect makes that extra mile seem like a short jaunt. No worries, though: An ounce of dark chocolate only contains 23 milligrams of caffeine.

Comment below what you think. Do you snack on dark chocolate? Are you a chocolate lover? Make sure you don't overdose on dark chocolate, because you can have too much of a good thing!

Source
http://livehealthy.chron.com/effects-dark-chocolate-reducing-weight-5330.html

References (7) 

• Regulatory Peptides: Appetite Suppression Through Smelling of Dark Chocolate Correlates With Changes in Ghrelin in Young Women
• Phytotherapy Research: Dark Chocolate: An Obesity Paradox or a Culprit for Weight Gain?
• Journal of Psychopharmacology: Cocoa Polyphenols Enhance Positive Mood States
• Weight Watchers: The Skinny on Chocolate
• USDA Nutrient Database: Dark Chocolate
• Harvard Medical School: Chocolate and Your Health
• Health Central: Consume Dark Chocolate and Red Wine to Control Pain

Cacao a guilt free treat

Hot cacao is a great way to consume something nutritious while feeling decadent. But you should buy cacao in its raw form, rather than the highly processed, low-grade hot chocolates that contain nothing but empty kilojoules and little in the way of true cacao.

The pros

Naturopath Aimee Robbins says raw, powdered cacao is full of flavonoids, which act as natural antioxidants. "Antioxidants protect the body from ageing and disease caused by free radicals. Raw cacao contains up to four times the antioxidants of traditional cacao powder, and has the highest antioxidant value of all the natural foods in the world." Scientists from Cornell University in the US recently discovered that raw cacao contains nearly twice the antioxidant content of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidant content of green tea.
The cacao bean is also rich in magnesium, an energy mineral and vital electrolyte. This super-food is also a good source of sulfur. Sulfur is associated with strong nails, shiny hair and a healthy liver and pancreas. Medical herbalist Dominique Finney says the flavonoids in cacao prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidising and clogging the arteries. "Cacao has also been found to help regulate blood pressure and reduce cholesterol while building the immune system."
Drinking a cup of hot cacao before meals can diminish your appetite by helping the body tune in to its natural appetite. According to Dr Gabriel Cousens, this is due to cacao's monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors). This is why it is often added to weight-loss supplements.

The cons

You can have too much of a good thing. Cacao is very powerful on the central nervous system and over-indulging can interfere with calcium retention. Don't consume more than 40 grams (or four to six heaped teaspoons) of raw cacao a day.

How to eat it

The best way to make sure you're getting the real deal is to start with quality raw cacao powder available in good supermarkets and health food shops. The best powder is dark brown and will taste bitter. You can make your own hot beverage by mixing the powder with hot water or milk. Some research has found that mixing dairy with cacao inhibits the absorption of the nutrients. So to get the most health benefits from your cup of cacao, try using a milk substitute such as coconut milk, soy milk, rice milk or just plain water.
If you have a sweet tooth, add sugar, honey or agave nectar. Drinking hot cocoa will give you more antioxidants than simply eating chocolate, because the heat releases more antioxidants. That said, Melbourne chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs recommends eating 60 grams of good-quality dark chocolate every day for a healthy body. "There is also a new chocolate called Acticoa that has nine times the antioxidants of red wine and five times more than green tea."

Mood enhancer

Raw cocoa is an aphrodisiac because it contains anandamide, a substance that induces euphoria. It also contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which is a mood enhancer. While this super-molecule exists naturally in the brain, the only other food that contains PEA is blue-green algae.


Source
http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/nutrition+tips/cacao+a+guilt+free+treat,7575

Cacao Beans for Weight Loss

Obesity is a growing concern all over the world. It has far-reaching effects on one’s health and billions of dollars are spent on obesity related disorders all over the world. In the US alone, over 300,000 premature deaths are caused due to obesity. There are various disorders that are caused due to obesity.

• Obese people suffer from high blood pressure since heart rate increases and blood flow to blood vessels reduces due to additional fat deposits. The workload on the heart increases.
• Diabetes (type 2) occurs mostly in overweight people. Insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar is caused in obese people that lead to diabetes.
• Atherosclerosis is present more in obese people. This hardening of arteries can cause coronary heart disease as a result of fatty deposits being built-up in the arteries, narrowed arteries, blood clots and reduced blood flow to the heart. This increases the risk of strokes, angina and heart attacks in obese people.
• The hips and joints of obese people are overloaded and this leads to arthritis and joint problems.
• Overweight women are more at risk of uterine, breast, gallbladder and colon cancer. Overweight men can contract prostate or colon cancer.
• Sleep apnea and other respiratory problems can affect overweight people since the added weight puts pressure on the chest wall and lungs.
• Elevated blood sugar and cholesterol levels, glucose intolerance, clotting and other inflammatory conditions affect overweight people.
• Obese people can have psychological problems since society places great emphasis on physical attractiveness. 

All these disorders demonstrate the need for weight loss programs and foods that can help with weight loss. Becoming calorie deficit is one way to enable weight loss. It forces the body to use up stored fat for energy enabling weight loss. When we burn more calories than we eat, we are said to be ‘calorie deficit’. E.g. If we burn 2500 calories and consume only 2000 calories, the extra 500 calories is got from stored fat and this helps us lose weight over time.
Of course, for this, we need to keep a count of our daily calorie intake and try to ensure we eat less. A calorie deficit can be created in 2 ways – eat less and exercise more. When we diet, we need to eat less of unhealthy foods and increase intake of healthy foods that can promote weight loss by keeping us full for longer periods, therefore reducing the urge to eat more often. The food we eat must also be nutrient rich to ensure we do not develop nutrition deficiency. The other way is to exercise and burn up energy. Doing the required cardiovascular exercises and strength training can burn calories, increase muscle mass and metabolic rate.

Cacao

Cacao is said to be a ‘superfood’ since it is rich in many nutrients, offers various health benefits and has very few side effects. Both cacao beans and cacao nibs have been used for several centuries in the countries of their origin – South and Central America. The Spanish conquerors introduced the cacao bean to Europe and in later centuries, it was combined with milk and sugar to make chocolate as we know it.
These days, the main cacao growing countries are Indonesia, Philippines, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Togo, Papua New Guinea and some Caribbean islands. There are three types of cacao beans and they are categorized based on their flavor and hardiness. Forastero is the bulk bean and produces 90% of the world’s chocolate. Criollo has a fruity flavor and is used to make 10% of chocolate. Trinitario is a hybrid combination of the first two varieties.
Nutrients in Cacao

Raw cacao and unsweetened dark chocolate offer us many health benefits. Cacao contains flavonoid antioxidants that can protect us from free radicals and promote heart health. Cacao beans contain about 50% fat that comes from oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid. They do not raise blood cholesterol levels as long as we consume the low-fat variety. The carbohydrates found in cacao are mostly soluble dietary fibers that keep us feeling full for longer. Other nutrients found in cacao are stimulants like caffeine and theobromine, serotonin, phenylethylamine, essential vitamins like A, B2, B3, B1, E, C and pantothenic acid, essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, sulfur and potassium.

Benefits of Cacao for Weight Loss Programs

It is difficult to think of chocolate as a weight loss food since it is full of sugars, milk and starches. However, the raw cacao bean and its by-products – raw cacao nibs and raw cacao powder can help promote weight loss. Pure cacao contains chemical compounds that can increase the serotonin levels. These help the brain feel that you are full and suppress hunger. Tryptophan, an amino acid and the action of MAO (monoamine oxidase enzyme) inhibitors help raise serotonin levels. They act by reducing the ability of the body to break down serotonin. More of it remains in the body and this keeps us feeling full for longer. Apart from containing tryptophan and MAO inhibitors, cacao beans also contain antioxidants that improve our moods. Depression is one cause for weight gain and feeling happy by consuming cacao means that our desire to overeat reduces.

Since we need to be conscious about the calories we consume, we must know the amount present in different forms of chocolate. Cacao beans that are low-fat have only 60 calories. High-fat cacao has 90 calories and processed cacao made into chocolate contains 150 calories. Those who wish to incorporate cacao for weight loss need to consume low-fat cacao products. In fact, cacao can be considered to have a negative calorie value since the body uses up less energy to oxidize it.
Raw cacao beans do not contain sugar and hydrogenated oils found in processed chocolate. Eating the latter can cause weight gain and insulin spikes. Processed chocolate also lose beneficial nutrients during the heating process that is found in cacao beans.

Precautions with cacao

Cacao beans eaten in excess can cause some side effects. Those with chocolate allergies can react to active ingredients like polyphenols found in cacao. The presence of caffeine in cocoa beans means that eating excess can trigger reactions in pregnant women, those with hypertension, diabetes and other diseases. It can increase anxiety levels and heart beat, cause migraines, diarrhea, nausea, intestinal discomfort and other gastric problems.
Consuming around 50 grams of dark unsweetened chocolate or 40 raw cacao powder a day can provide various health benefits including promoting weight loss.



Source
http://www.thesuperfoods.net/cacao/cacao-beans-for-weight-loss