The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 68 percent of people over 20 are overweight, half of whom are considered obese. Of course, obesity is also closely linked to many other health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
A 2011 article in The Lancet estimated the annual medical costs of obesity. Experts predict spending will increase by as much as $60 billion by 2030. There is no one magic solution for weight loss yet. There are many theories and works that describe the usefulness of certain products and supplements. One of these is dark chocolate. Yes, yes, chocolate, but definitely black. Researchers describe a number of health benefits of dark chocolate, including reducing insulin sensitivity, reducing hunger, reducing stress and reducing cortisol levels.
1. Reduce Insulin Resistance
Insulin is released by the pancreas when blood sugar levels rise. It acts as a transport system for accompanying glucose in blood cells. Repeated release of insulin due to overly sweet foods leads to addiction. Fasting does not lead to weight loss. Because during fasting, the body accumulates fat to protect against hunger. What is the result? Weight gain.
Replacing sugary foods with dark chocolate can help reduce insulin resistance. In a 2005 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 15 healthy individuals consumed white and dark chocolate for 15 days. At the end of this time, those who ate dark chocolate experienced greater sensitivity. As a nice bonus, those groups that used dark chocolate experienced lower blood pressure.
2. Chocolate helps reduce appetite
In order to eat less and to calm your food cravings a little, you can use dark chocolate. It eliminates the feeling of hunger, which is very useful when trying to lose weight.
A study was conducted in which sixteen healthy people took part. They regularly consumed dark and white chocolate. As a result of the experiment, the test subjects talked about their feeling of hunger after eating black and after eating white chocolate. Those who ate dark chocolate felt full 15% longer than those who ate white chocolate.
3. Chocolate reduces stress and cortisol levels
Stress causes the release of cortisol, which causes the body to produce more insulin, leading to overeating. In 2009, one study published in the journal Proteome had 30 patients who suffered from depression and anxiety consume 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks. A urine test showed that cortisol levels had dropped significantly. Scientists have concluded that dark chocolate can change the body’s metabolism.
So when building your bodybuilding and fitness diet, don’t cut out dark chocolate products so harshly. Sometimes you can treat yourself.
