The doctor told about the way to choose healthy chocolate

Many Russians love chocolate, but people don't always choose a healthy product for themselves. About which chocolate is the most useful for the human body, July 11, "Gazeta.Ru" was told by Ekaterina Kashukh, a gastroenterologist and expert at the Hemotest Laboratory.

According to the doctor, chocolate benefits from the content of cocoa products: powder or butter made from cocoa beans. The product itself is a source of antioxidants, some of which protect cells from oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and improve vascular function. There is a possibility that chocolate can have a beneficial effect on the human nervous system and help in the fight against stress.

"The benefits of chocolate as a finished product depend primarily on the content of cocoa products in it. The more of them, the higher the concentration of biologically active substances and beneficial properties. Chocolate with a cocoa product content of 70% or more is considered the most useful," Kashukh said.

However, not all types of chocolate are more beneficial than harmful. For example, milk or white chocolate contains more sugar, dairy products, and food additives than cocoa products.

"If you eat this dessert regularly, it can contribute to obesity, insulin resistance and, in the long run, to type 2 diabetes. The risk of tooth decay also increases, the intestinal microflora suffers, and due to spikes in blood glucose, the risk of overeating and unhealthy cravings for sweets is higher," the doctor explained.

This warning also applies to supposedly "healthy" chocolate — the additives contained in it may be useful in themselves, but the chocolate may add calories to the product.

At the same time, bitter chocolate, the percentage of cocoa products in which, it would seem, corresponds to the norm, can also lead to obesity.

"Many people eat a lot of chocolate at once, they can't stop at one or two slices. In this case, it is easy to exceed the daily calorie intake. <...> The optimal serving of chocolate is 20-30 grams per day, which is about 100-150 kcal," the gastroenterologist recommended.

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Earlier, on June 5, Irina Krashkina, a psychotherapist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), Candidate of Medical Sciences, warned about the negative effects of caffeine on anxious people. According to her, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which leads to increased levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. With anxiety disorders, it can increase anxiety, provoke panic attacks and insomnia.