What kind of chocolate is good for the mind? What chocolate is good for the brain? Other useful components

Looking for a tasty treat that's good for your brain? Chocolate tops all lists of healthy foods for the body, including activating brain activity, improving memory and learning ability. Why is this so? Which chocolate is best for the brain?

9 reasons to eat chocolate

Does chocolate help improve brain function? This effect has been proven several times. But what is its effect? What effect does this delicacy have on the brain? Below you will find 9 reasons that will convince you to eat dark chocolate every day:

1. This is the source of happiness. Eating real chocolate helps release endorphins and tryptophan. These substances dull pain, improve mood and induce a state of happiness. The sweetness also contains phenylethylamine, a substance that has the same effect on the brain as falling in love for the first time.

Chocolate is the only source of anandamine. This substance is very similar to THC, the main component of marijuana that produces the “high” effect.

1. Consumption of this product increases blood flow to the brain. Thanks to this, memory improves, decision-making speed and attentiveness increases. For older people, consuming chocolate can help combat age-related mental decline. In one experiment, giving children a glass of hot chocolate every day at school showed that it improved short-term memory by 30% and helped them make decisions faster.
2. Its consumption protects against the harmful effects of free radicals. The brain accounts for 20% of its oxygen consumption, so it is most susceptible to free radicals (oxygen molecules that act on cells the way oxygen acts on metal, causing corrosion). An example of the effect of free radicals is the darkening of the pulp of cut fruits, such as apples. Antioxidants found in chocolate interfere with negative processes in the brain.
3. Memory, concentration, learning ability improves. This effect is exerted by flavonoids, which accumulate in certain parts of the brain in large quantities, in particular in the hippocampus. Another substance that also helps improve concentration and improves mood is caffeine. Indeed, chocolate contains it, but in smaller quantities than coffee, so it will not interfere with sleep.
4. A great way to deal with stress. A calming effect can be achieved through magnesium. This substance is very necessary for humans, but in our diet, as a rule, there is not enough of it. Chocolate is one of those foods that contains the most magnesium. This is why many people like to eat chocolate in stressful situations; it also helps fight insomnia.

Natural chocolate contains theobromine, which is very similar to caffeine. But, unlike its brother, it helps to relax rather than cheer up.

1. Helps “pacify” appetite. Unfortunately, this only applies to good dark chocolate; you won’t be able to satisfy your appetite with cheap sweets. It reduces cravings for junk food and helps make the transition to a healthy diet less painful. Many people eat it to lose weight. A small portion significantly reduces appetite.

Nobody knows what exactly causes this effect. Scientists are of the opinion that appetite decreases due to certain psychological aspects, because when all the substances from chocolate were placed in a tablet, such a result could not be achieved.

1. Prevention of brain diseases. Dark chocolate is an excellent way to combat age-related problems associated with brain activity. Consumption of this delicacy significantly reduces the susceptibility of cells to stroke. It will be useful for an elderly person to treat himself to 50 g of this sweetness every day. It can reverse the destruction of brain cells. Also, those who consume this sweetness are less likely to experience insanity, and their memory remains the same even in their declining years.

The child can also benefit from this treat. Having eaten one chocolate bar before a school exam, he will ensure fast brain function and good concentration for at least 2 hours!

1. Helps maintain proper levels of intestinal bacteria. Oddly enough, the harmonious balance of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the intestines helps protect the brain from free radicals. These substances perform the work of antioxidants, which helps achieve this result. We can say that this product plays the role of probiotics and helps maintain a stable level of bad and good bacteria.
2. The more chocolate, the smarter. Although it sounds like a joke, scientists have noticed a strange statistic. The higher the country's average consumption, the more Nobel Prize laureates there are! These study results were published by the respected New England Journal of Medicine. This may be due to the fact that chocolate improves brain activity, memory, and concentration, which helps you learn faster. Another interesting fact: dark chocolate is adored by geniuses!

Black or milky?

But why does chocolate affect the brain? Of course, it's all about the cocoa. Its grains contain a substance called flavanol. It stimulates blood flow to the brain and speeds up its activity.

Which chocolate is better for the brain, milk or dark? A whole study was conducted on this matter, in which 30 women and men from 18 to 25 years old participated. Everyone had approximately the same level of intelligence, and none of them had any special abilities.

The experiment began with everyone being given a piece of dark chocolate (40-50 g) to eat and the brain's reaction being monitored. On average, the level of mental abilities increased by 62-67%. Such results amazed even the researchers themselves. The effect of chocolate lasted about 3-4 hours, the first decline was observed after an hour.

It's all about the flavanol. Dark chocolate contains much more of this substance. Moreover, milk, which is part of the milk bar of the delicacy, almost completely blocks flavanol particles, and carbons are responsible for the increase in brain activity, in the case of milk chocolate.

Flavanol not only stimulates brain function, it can also improve vision due to increased blood flow to the retina. But the question concerns exclusively the clarity of the picture, and not farsightedness. You will see better in the dark, fog or snow.

Finally

Is chocolate good for the brain? Of course yes! With its help, you can stimulate brain activity, lift your mood and even improve your vision. To achieve results, it is enough to allow yourself only 40-50 g of this delicacy every day. This amount will not harm your figure, and you will feel happy and full of energy!

Many of us have heard that chocolate is very good for the brain. Even a small piece of tile is enough to improve memory and concentration, and therefore successfully pass an exam or an important report. You will learn about which chocolates are most beneficial for the brain and why in this article.

What does chocolate do to us?

To the question of whether chocolate is healthy, we can confidently answer yes. Dark dark chocolate is considered the healthiest, since it contains the largest amount of natural cocoa grains.

It is noteworthy that during the Second World War, this particular confectionery product was included in the diet of American soldiers. Bars with a similar recipe can still be seen on supermarket shelves today - these are the famous Hershey’s bars.

To understand how chocolate affects the brain, scientists from many countries around the world conducted various experiments. As a result of the experiments, some interesting facts became clear.

• Improved cognitive performance
  Learning ability and good concentration are higher in those people who regularly consume chocolate in moderation. This happens thanks to the flavonoids contained in cocoa beans. Even with chronic lack of sleep and overwork, this product allows you to activate brain activity and show good results in exams. In addition, flavonoids, when regularly introduced into the body, can be considered a preventative against the development of dementia and other age-related changes in the brain.
• Prevention of premature cell aging
  Chocolate is good for the brain due to its high content of antioxidants, which protect against the effects of free oxygen molecules. The effect of such molecules on the body is very destructive. Just as wrinkles appear with age, nerve cells deteriorate. It is cocoa beans that neutralize the harm of oxygen molecules, prolonging the life of cells.
• Mood boost
  A chocolate bar in a moment of sadness and irritability helps restore a cheerful outlook on life. This happens due to the release of happiness hormones - endorphins. Feelings of joy and euphoria quickly replace sadness, and the person feels happier. Thanks to the complex substance phenylethylamine contained in cocoa beans, people with a sweet tooth even have a feeling of falling in love, since the effect of the substance on the brain while eating dessert is similar to meeting a loved one.
• Memory improvement
  Dark chocolate helps the brain improve short-term memory and even increases mental abilities in older people. This occurs due to increased blood flow to the brain. English scientists have proven that those with a sweet tooth improve their memory, concentration, reaction speed, and intelligence within the first 2-3 hours after eating a confectionery product. That is why it is recommended to eat some quality chocolate before the exam to get your brain active.

How to use it

Despite such an impressive effect from consuming this popular confectionery product, it should not be regarded as a panacea. Mastering new complex activities, reading popular science literature, communicating with intellectuals - all this will have a better effect on the state of your brain than daily consumption of chocolate bars while watching a frivolous series.

Pay also attention to the quality and type of product used. It should be good dark chocolate in reasonable doses (several cloves). Otherwise, the slight improvement in cognitive abilities will be offset by the risk of developing diabetes and obesity.

Its qualities and pleasant taste have made it popular not only among those with a sweet tooth, but also among scientists in various fields of activity.
It is worth noting that the benefits of the product have many different directions. This has a great influence on literally every process in the human body. One type of chocolate is considered a bitter product that stimulates brain function and is allowed to be consumed even while taking exams.

Fact or fiction?

Many children who study in different educational institutions have repeatedly confirmed the fact that this product helps them in their studies. Scientists have identified three main microelements that help activate the brain:

1. Carbohydrates. They are also called fast. These elements are very important when performing complex mental tasks. Bitter chocolate is saturated with them. Even one small piece will help you get ready for work without adding extra pounds.
2. Lecithin. This component helps to establish rapid transmission of impulses from one part of the brain to another.
3. Theobromine. This substance is contained in the cocoa beans themselves. With its help, it is possible to reduce the number of vascular spasms in the brain. Thanks to it, the amount of endorphins increases and mood improves.

A cocktail that is useful for stimulating brain function

It is dark chocolate that can dilate blood vessels in the human brain. At the same time, the highest quality and fastest supply of oxygen to the blood can be observed. It is often prescribed to patients who suffer from fatigue or lack of sleep.
The main feature is the presence of the maximum amount of cocoa. Other ingredients should be kept to a minimum. For this purpose, one popular cocktail is often used, which was invented by the ancient Aztecs. In addition to positive changes in the brain, it will help you finally wake up in the morning.
To make it you will need high-quality cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, coffee, and low-fat milk. They are mixed in a certain amount and consumed in the morning and during lunch. The taste of this drink is significantly different from the usual hot chocolate.
Of course, you shouldn't treat dark chocolate like...

Chocolate is the most delicious, aromatic and favorite treat for many of us.. Of course, in large quantities it can be harmful to the figure, but the fair half of chocolate lovers try to forget about this so as not to spoil the pleasure, and, I must say, they are doing the right thing! After all, besides this, chocolate is also very, very healthy.

However, today we will talk about how chocolate affects brain function. It is often said that chocolate promotes higher activity and is a good remedy for lack of sleep. This is true.

Moreover, this has been confirmed not only by chocolate lovers who discovered this property of their favorite dessert in practice, but also by respected researchers from the Reading Institute in England.

They conducted a very interesting test.

30 men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 agreed to this experiment, and this is what happened.

Their thought processes operated within the average range, and none of them had any special intellectual inclinations or supernatural abilities.

So they were offered 40–50 grams of chocolate to track the effect of a fragrant dessert on brain activity.

It turned out that while consuming dark chocolate, their mental abilities increased by approximately 62–67%, which not only surprised, but also greatly pleased both the researchers and the experiment participants themselves.

By the way, this effect lasted about an hour., after which it began to gradually fall and in three and a half hours The children's intellectual activity became the same, exactly the same as before the experiment.

After some time, they were offered to try the so-favorite milk chocolate. And now the time has come for those who love this sweet milky delicacy to be upset - the same portion of milk chocolate increased brain activity only by 20–25%, And The effect lasted a little less than two hours, after which the indicator of mental activity of the experiment participants returned to its previous positions.

On the one hand, there is the catastrophic injustice of nature, but on the other, everything is done in two counts. explained scientifically.

Researched from Reading explained that brain activity is stimulated by increased blood flow to the brain, which is provided by an increase in the amount of flavanol in the body (flavanol is found in cocoa beans). Milk chocolate contains much less of these beneficial particles; moreover, they are almost inactive, since they do not like the effects of milk, which is added (albeit in dry form) to each milk chocolate bar.

During use milk chocolate mental activity increases exceptionally thanks to carbohydrates, which also have the ability to stimulate the brain, although their effect is much lower, and, frankly speaking, they are dangerous for the figure.

However That's not all, as determined by scientists from Britain.

In addition to stimulating mental abilities, flavanol, which is contained in cocoa, is also improves vision, providing better blood flow to the retina of the eye. However, here everything is a little more complicated - thanks to chocolate, it is not visual acuity that improves (that is, you will not see further), but it is noticed clear improvement in vision clarity, especially useful in poor visibility conditions– during twilight, fog or snow.

December 28th is National Chocolate Candy Day! The world loves chocolate, but not only because of the taste, but also because of the benefits. You knew For example, that during World War II, the US government commissioned Milton Hershey to make candy bars to feed soldiers' diets? The recipe his company created became the basis for today's famous Hershey's chocolate bars.

To this day, chocolate remains America's favorite sweet, with more than 2.8 billion pounds consumed each year. Therefore, today MINI wants to highlight not only the popularity of this delicacy, but also its beneficial properties for the brain. Monday may be a hard day, but chocolate makes it easier to get through it :)

"All you need is Love. But a little chocolate wouldn’t hurt either.”

— Charles M. Schultz

It's rare that sweets are healthy, but dark chocolate is a happy exception to the rule. If you want to look at lists of the healthiest foods for the brain, chocolate will be in first place in all of them. Let's try to understand why:

1. Dark chocolate makes us happier.

Dark chocolate promotes the release of “happy” substances - endorphins. They engage the brain's opiate receptors, leading to a feeling of euphoria similar to that experienced by runners during a "running high." They also reduce pain and reduce the negative effects of stress.

Chocolate is the main dietary source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is the precursor to serotonin, the neurotransmitter of happiness and good mood.

Chocolate is the only known source of anandamide, sometimes called the “bliss molecule.” It is very similar to THC, the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana.

Dark chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, a complex substance called the “love substance” because it has the same effect on the brain as falling in love.

1. Dark chocolate improves blood flow to the brain.

The compounds in chocolate improve memory, alertness, reaction time and problem-solving ability by increasing blood flow to the brain. The flavonoids in chocolate have been proven to improve blood flow in both young and old. In one study, one dose of flavonoid-rich cocoa increased blood flow to the brain of healthy young adults.

A Harvard Medical School study found that two glasses of hot chocolate increased blood flow to the brain for 2-3 hours.

This increase in current improved performance on the short-term memory speed test by 30%.

Increasing blood flow to the brain can help improve short-term memory and prevent mental decline in older adults.

1. Dark chocolate protects the brain from the harmful effects of free radicals.

The brain uses a large amount of oxygen, about 20% of the body's total consumption. Therefore, it is very susceptible to the effects of free radicals - free oxygen molecules that act on the body's cells in much the same way as oxygen on metal, causing corrosion.

Have you seen how an apple or avocado darkens when cut? So you've seen how free radicals work. Wrinkles, age spots, and sun damage are all visible signs of free radical damage. The same process occurs inside the brain. Antioxidants protect brain cells, neutralizing damage and preventing premature aging of cells.

Cocoa powder contains more antioxidants than other “superfoods” such as acai berries, blueberries and pomegranates.

Compared to coffee and tea, cocoa drink overtook green tea, but remained behind coffee.

1. Dark chocolate improves learning ability, memory and concentration.

Cocoa flavonoids penetrate and accumulate in the parts of the brain responsible for learning and memory, especially in the hippocampus.

Flavonoids in chocolate improve scores on a standard cognitive function test.

It also contains caffeine, a known substance that improves memory, mood and concentration.

How much caffeine is in chocolate compared to tea and coffee?

According to Caffeine Informer, Ghirardelli 60% cocoa dark chocolate contains about 30 mg of caffeine per 28 g, while Hershey's cocoa powder contains 48 mg per 28 g.

Green tea contains 25 mg, and brewed coffee contains 64-272 mg per 28 g.

As you can see, a standard serving of chocolate has relatively low caffeine content. So eating dark chocolate won't wake you up or keep you from falling asleep.

1. Dark chocolate helps fight stress.

Magnesium is so good at helping you relax that it is called “nature’s calm pill.” But we really lack it in our diet.

Chocolate is one of the best sources of magnesium. It is believed that this is why we like him so much.

Getting more magnesium from chocolate improves concentration, mood, sleep and stress resistance.

Theobromine is a complex substance that is mainly found in chocolate. It is similar to caffeine, but paradoxically, it relaxes rather than stimulates.

1. Dark chocolate helps control appetite.

Chocolate is the most favorite sweet. But gorging yourself on cheap, mass-produced chocolate will not reduce your sweet cravings. In fact, on the contrary, increase it.

On the other hand, we need much less dark chocolate to curb our sweet cravings. Eating dark chocolate reduces cravings for junk foods of all types - sweet, salty and fatty. It gradually helps you make healthier food choices, reduce your calorie intake, and ultimately lose weight.

And all this is due to the unique content of photochemicals? Or is there a psychological aspect to our love for chocolate?

Interestingly, it appears that the sensory experience of eating chocolate is an important part of its ability to satisfy food cravings. When scientists put all its beneficial substances into a tablet, it did not cause the same effect.

1. Eating dark chocolate protects the brain throughout life.

Many surprising facts have been discovered about the benefits of chocolate in treating brain diseases such as stroke and dementia.

The powerful antioxidants in dark chocolate may reduce the risk of dementia. In fact, the more chocolate older people ate, the less likely they were to develop senility.

Chocolate flavanols improved cognitive performance in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Dark chocolate also reduces insulin sensitivity. Many experts consider Alzheimer's disease to be the result of such a disorder. Nowadays it is sometimes classified as type 3 diabetes. When brain cells are resistant to insulin, they do not receive the required amount of glucose and, as a result, die.

Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods (such as cocoa) may limit, prevent, or reverse age-related decline in brain function.

1. Dark chocolate supports gut bacteria that are good for the brain.

One of the most unusual beneficial properties of dark chocolate is that it increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. And it’s strange, but it’s good for the brain!

Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium are two of the healthiest gut bacteria and are found in many foods fortified with probiotics. They act as antioxidants, protecting the brain from the harmful effects of free radicals.

Chocolate acts as a probiotic, keeping levels of good bacteria high and levels of bad bacteria low. Too much bad bacteria can reduce levels of important brain chemicals.

1. Dark chocolate makes you smarter.

You have already learned that chocolate improves learning ability, concentration and memory.

And one study found that the more chocolate consumed in a country, the more Nobel Prize winners there are!

Although it appears to be a joke, this study was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, a serious organization that is not known for pranks.

What to look for when buying chocolate:

Why is dark chocolate better for the brain than milk chocolate?

Compared to milk, dark milk contains more beneficial substances, such as flavonoids and antioxidants, and less harmful substances, such as sugar. It is believed that the dairy in milk chocolate may interfere with the absorption of flavonoids, but research has so far been inconclusive.

What percentage?

If you see the number 70% on a chocolate bar, this means the percentage of all products derived from cocoa beans - cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Overall, 70% is a good start if you want the real benefits of dark chocolate. If this is too much (too bitter) for you, start with 50% chocolate.

Well, MINI we ran for chocolates, we need to finish off the last days of the year on a good wave! :) Who's with us?

Why dark chocolate is good for the brain

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