Individuals who eat chocolate regularly are likely to be thinner, suggest a new study. Even though chocolate contains more calories than many other foods, but people who eat it regularly have fewer body fats compared to those who do not eat chocolate.
Researchers believe that calories in chocolate are not like normal calories. The US study shows, constituents in chocolate seem to make the metabolism work harder, which means they counterbalance the fat that might otherwise have stayed around. Consequently, the metabolic effects of certain ingredients make chocolate a good slimming food.
A team of researchers from the University of California at San Diego examined the chocolate-eating habits of nearly one thousand men and women with an average age of sixty for a study of statin a cholesterol-lowering drug. The study subjects did not have any known heart problems, but they were questioned related to diet and lifestyle.
They were asked how many times a week they consume chocolate. The findings of study showed that individuals who consumed chocolate on more days of week than average were statistically likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI). This was despite the fact that individuals who consumed more chocolate did not consume less calories overall, or take more exercise.
This was despite the fact that individual who consumed more chocolate did not consume less calories overall, or take more exercise. Chocolate consumption was associated with greater overall saturated fat intake. The study did not look at type and quantity of chocolate that participants ate. As a result, no link was seen between the amounts of chocolate eaten.
The researchers warn the study findings, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, may not apply to all products containing chocolate and do not rule out the possibility that some people can put on weight with regular modest chocolate consumption.
Lead author Dr Beatrice Golomb, stated their findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matter for determining their ultimate impact on weight. In the case of chocolate, this is good news, both for those who have a regular chocolate habit, and those who wish to start one.
Other studies have asserted chocolate may be good for the heart. Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been associated with some favorable changes in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol level. Besides, chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, does contain antioxidants which can help to clean up harmful free radicals.
In mice study, epicatechin, one chemical derived from the chocolate ingredient cocoa, has been shown to boost numbers of mitochondria, the cells’ energy-producing power houses. Mitochondria burn up calories and epicatechin reduced weight in rats whose calorie intake and exercise levels were unchanged.