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Last Updated: Feb 24, 2023
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How Dark Chocolate Could Boost Brain Health & Immunity?

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Dt. Ritika DuaDietitian/Nutritionist • 24 Years Exp.BSc-Diet & Nutrition, M.Sc-Diet & Nutrition
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Life has become a challenge due to it’s fast paced nature, people at times are unable to keep up with the pace and hence lag behind. They lag behind, not because of their potential but because their bodies do not allow to put in extra effort to achieve their goals. With the use of pesticides in foods and junk items becoming popular day by day, they are ultimately affecting people’s health in adverse manner. Hence, we see people frequently falling ill, they are becoming susceptible to changing weather conditions as their immunity has taken a beating. The resistance power to sustain tough situations and conditions is no longer there in human beings.

Dark Chocolate Comes To The Rescue
If you want to increase your immunity and boost memory power, dark chocolate is ideal for you. It contains high concentration of cocoa, which helps in relieving stress, creates positive impact on memory and mood.
A food science expert, Dr. Lee Berk led a study at Loma Linda University in California stated that after years of research on the influence of dark chocolate on neurological functions, he can firmly conclude from the perspective of the amount of sugar content in these chocolates, the greater the sugar intake, the happier people seem to be. This is because sugar provides energy and keeps mood fresh. He had studied at the impact of large amounts of cacao in small doses, similar to a chocolate bar of regular size in human beings over a significant duration of time.

What did the study reveal? 


The study revealed some fascinating benefits of cacao, one of the ingredients in dark chocolates. It showed that higher the concentration of cacao, they tend to have a positive effect on cognition, memory, immunity, mood along with other benefits. Cacao contains antioxidants in the form of flavonoids, which are also anti-inflammatory agents, and they are extremely beneficial for keeping brain and heart healthy.

 

As a part of the research, participants were given a 48-gram bar of dark chocolate at the start of an experiment and then went to eat a piece of dark chocolate every two hours. They remained awake for several days, which proved that they had gained enough energy not to feel exhausted and sleepy.

Blood tests were conducted which revealed that the chocolate has influenced gene activity, leading to an increase in anti-inflammatory agents and which in turn increased cells to fight infections. This was followed by an EEG, wherein the gamma waves record suggested that the chocolate treat had positively impacted brain function, such as creativity and level of cognition for a couple of hours even after eating it.
Further Research On The Topic

Dr. Lee Berk intends to conduct a further research on this particular phenomenon to understand exactly, how much dark chocolate should one have in order to positively affect functioning of brain.
So we can see that dark chocolate indeed improves immunity, helps to stay energetic and keeps brain healthy. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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