Many people love chocolates but they think that they are fattening and harmful to their health. This is not always true. Recent research has revealed that there are chocolates that are actually beneficial to health. The difference comes in the ingredients used and the processes followed. When it comes to chocolate and digestion, various factors need to be considered.
Organic ingredients only earn their certification if they are grown without resorting to use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation. Cocoa beans are mostly grown in tropical climates like West Africa, where conditions are humid and rainfall is regular. The more cocoa mass contained in a product, the greater the health benefits.
Cocoa beans contain polyphenols with antioxidant properties. These antioxidant flavonoids reduce the risk of blood clotting and this helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Cocoa can increase the serotonin level in the brain. This is probably why people suffering from depression or PMS often reach for chocolates.
Cocoa beans are rich in many essential vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E. The minerals they contain include calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper and zinc. All of these are vital to proper functioning of all the bodily systems.
There are cases in which chocolates are not good for the digestive system. Those containing milk are not good for people who are lactose intolerant. The complex sugar called lactose that is found in milk has to be broken down by a digestive enzyme called lactase. In some people, this does not happen resulting in undigested lactose which in turn causes problems like bloating, cramps and diarrhea. These individuals should buy products containing substitutes for dairy such as coconut milk.
Sugar is added to many products and this can be a problem for those trying to lose weight and for those who prefer not to eat sugar at all. Other products such as unrefined cane sugar is being used increasingly by manufacturers. Vanilla, fruit, nuts and herbs are also being added to improve the bitter flavor of the cocoa. These products often have a subtle intensity of flavor that people grow to prefer to chocolates that are too sweet.
Some people suffer from digestive diseases or irritable bowel syndrome and they find that eating chocolates can affect them adversely. However, for all those people who do not have digestive problems, eating chocolates can be of benefit to the digestive system. Chocolates contains a sufficient amount of fiber to help with peristaltic movement and stimulate the production of digestive enzymes.
For someone with none of these problems, there is no question that the dietary fiber found in cocoa beans is beneficial to the digestive process. With the issues regarding chocolate and digestion being raised, more manufacturers are carefully choosing the ingredients they use. Many of the healthiest products are available from online stores.
Organic ingredients only earn their certification if they are grown without resorting to use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation. Cocoa beans are mostly grown in tropical climates like West Africa, where conditions are humid and rainfall is regular. The more cocoa mass contained in a product, the greater the health benefits.
Cocoa beans contain polyphenols with antioxidant properties. These antioxidant flavonoids reduce the risk of blood clotting and this helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Cocoa can increase the serotonin level in the brain. This is probably why people suffering from depression or PMS often reach for chocolates.
Cocoa beans are rich in many essential vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E. The minerals they contain include calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper and zinc. All of these are vital to proper functioning of all the bodily systems.
There are cases in which chocolates are not good for the digestive system. Those containing milk are not good for people who are lactose intolerant. The complex sugar called lactose that is found in milk has to be broken down by a digestive enzyme called lactase. In some people, this does not happen resulting in undigested lactose which in turn causes problems like bloating, cramps and diarrhea. These individuals should buy products containing substitutes for dairy such as coconut milk.
Sugar is added to many products and this can be a problem for those trying to lose weight and for those who prefer not to eat sugar at all. Other products such as unrefined cane sugar is being used increasingly by manufacturers. Vanilla, fruit, nuts and herbs are also being added to improve the bitter flavor of the cocoa. These products often have a subtle intensity of flavor that people grow to prefer to chocolates that are too sweet.
Some people suffer from digestive diseases or irritable bowel syndrome and they find that eating chocolates can affect them adversely. However, for all those people who do not have digestive problems, eating chocolates can be of benefit to the digestive system. Chocolates contains a sufficient amount of fiber to help with peristaltic movement and stimulate the production of digestive enzymes.
For someone with none of these problems, there is no question that the dietary fiber found in cocoa beans is beneficial to the digestive process. With the issues regarding chocolate and digestion being raised, more manufacturers are carefully choosing the ingredients they use. Many of the healthiest products are available from online stores.
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