What it is?
Chocolate is a confectionery product made from cocoa butter. It includes flavorings and fillings such as raisins, caramel, cookies and nuts.
The confectionery industry produces black, milk and white products. The variety depends on the composition. Black is considered the most useful. It consists of ground and roasted beans, cocoa butter and sweet powder. It is generally accepted that a dark cocoa product must certainly be bitter. The statement is not true. The bitterness comes from the presence of grated powder. The benefits and taste of the product depend on the amount of cocoa.
The statement that dark chocolate makes you fat is only partly true. The product is high in calories, so you need to eat it in small quantities. For a person leading a sedentary lifestyle, 30-40 g per day is enough.
How genes influence weight gain
There are genes that determine the tendency to be overweight - they are best interpreted in a system using clinical experience, knowledge of biochemistry, nutritional history, heredity and a person’s lifestyle.
For example, the PPEG gene is responsible for the growth rate of fat cells. A person with a “breakdown” (polymorphism) in this gene with a certain lifestyle (overeating, lack of physical activity) will gain weight faster, but also lose it quickly. For such people, the use of fasting days is effective (do not prescribe them yourself - there are contraindications and consultation with a doctor is necessary).
Energy value of tiles
High calorie content contributes to excess weight gain. Does chocolate make you fat ? The statement that you can gain weight from sweets is not entirely true. Undoubtedly, this is a high-calorie product. However, it contains so-called “fast” carbohydrates. They are easily absorbed and, without delay, are quickly consumed by the body. Dark contains 546 kcal, milk 550 kcal. White varieties include fat additives, a lot of sugar and sugar substitutes. They increase calorie content, which contributes to the gain of unnecessary pounds. The following factors influence calorie content:
- Variety (dark, white, milky);
- Variety (filling, presence of additives, etc.);
- The amount of fat in the composition.
Sometimes in production, in order to reduce its cost, harmful and cheap substitutes are used instead of cocoa butter. Expensive oil is not purchased. Vegetable or hydrogenated fats are added to products. Their use reduces the cost of the confectionery product. Surrogate substitutes are dangerous for the body. Excessive indulgence in this dessert can quickly make you fat. Products based on vegetable fats can lead to the development of diseases of the endocrine system.
Chocolate and its benefits
This confectionery invention continues to be one of the most versatile and beloved treats in the whole world. However, many are afraid that if they taste chocolate, they may gain weight. And this is not without reason, since due to its high fat content and sweet component, it appeared on the list of foods harmful to the figure.
However, research in recent years shows that, despite the calorie content of the product, there are also significant benefits in its use. Even the army rations of some countries include chocolate, thanks to which you can restore strength and be as attentive as possible on missions.
International studies have shown that people who include chocolate in their regular diet think less about being overweight. And the amount of fat in their body is even less than that of those who limit the consumption of this delicacy.
Scientists also note the benefits of chocolate due to elements that prevent the formation of blood clots and the aggravation of coronary heart disease. Caffeine and other substances present in large quantities (especially dark chocolate) activate the nervous system and stimulate blood circulation.
In the modern world, a large amount of information has already been accumulated to refute the point of view that eating chocolate contributes to weight gain. If a person wants to lose weight and does not want to give up this product, he needs to have information about the correct use of it.
Physical properties
Many people want to know the answer to the question, do chocolate make you fat For those who want to maintain a slim body, it is better to choose black (bitter), containing at least 71% cocoa.
50 grams of tiles per day will not harm your figure in any way. You shouldn't give up sweets while on a diet. A piece of bitter dessert satisfies hunger well. Afterwards there will be no desire to treat yourself to high-calorie foods.
Nutritionists consider dark chocolate to be the healthiest. In addition to vitamins, it contains little fat, so it is low in calories. Dairy is the most harmful for the figure. It includes high-calorie milk powder and fat supplements.
How to choose healthy chocolate
When you buy dark chocolate, read the label carefully and pay attention to the ingredients. Most manufacturers of dark chocolate bars with a cocoa content of 70% or higher will not make you look for these numbers for long by printing them in large font on the front side of the wrapper, but if not, then turn it over and pay attention to the composition.
Chocolate containing milk or sugar as the first ingredient cannot be 70%. Colorful packaging often hides a low-quality product, and flavoring additives mask the poor taste of the cocoa beans used to make this particular chocolate.
The quality of chocolate can always be assessed by taste, texture and ingredient content. High-quality chocolate will manifest itself in the mouth: it will have a smooth, velvety texture and melt well, revealing the full palette of its sophisticated taste. When buying high-quality dark chocolate from different manufacturers, do not be surprised how different its taste can be. Smoother, more floral or fruity flavors come from South American (Venezuelan, Colombian) beans, while a more earthy flavor is typically associated with beans from Ghana or Ivory Coast. The only thing to keep in mind is that beneficial flavonoids give dark chocolate a slightly bitter taste (the darker the type, the more bitter the taste).
When it benefits
Is it possible to gain weight from dark chocolate if you don’t watch the amount you eat? Any sweet product can be harmful if consumed too much.
For the treat to be beneficial, you need to choose a quality product. Composition information is provided on the label. A healthy chocolate bar should not contain vegetable fat, artificial flavors or emulsifiers.
Half a bar eaten per day provides the human body with half the daily requirement of fat. Excess fat increases blood cholesterol levels, which, in turn, can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
The likelihood of gaining weight increases if a sweet tooth leads a sedentary lifestyle. In this case, the recommended daily dose is no more than 40 grams.
Chocolate
Massive misconceptions about the usefulness of certain products have always existed.
There was a time when tomatoes were considered poisonous. The book “A Complete Guide to Gardening” (18th century) says: “Tomatoes are extremely harmful, as they drive those who eat them crazy.” Time has dispelled this myth. But popular rumor continues to give rise to more and more speculation about unhealthy and healthy foods. Let's try to dispel some of them.
1
Potato. It is believed that potatoes (as well as pasta) make you gain weight quickly. This is wrong.
Nutritionists insist that people get fat not from pasta or potatoes, but from the fatty sauces with which we flavor dishes made from these products. Potato starch, on the contrary, promotes good digestion and speeds up metabolism.
Tubers contain a lot of the most important vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and in terms of potassium content, which helps with cardiovascular diseases, potatoes are second only to parsley and legumes.
New potato juice is used to treat the thyroid gland. The presence of vitamins B and P in it makes it effective in the fight against depression and insomnia.
2
Black coffee. It is believed that drinking this drink is almost as harmful as smoking. Coffee supposedly causes insomnia, increases blood pressure, negatively affects the heart, and makes bones fragile. But modern research has revealed a lot of amazing beneficial properties of coffee:
moderate coffee consumption calms stress and reduces the risk of heart attack;
stimulates the respiratory center of the brain, which makes breathing easier for asthmatics;
reduce the risk (by more than half!) of liver cancer, some forms of diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.
Coffee (and sweet coffee) even makes a person slimmer! Danish scientists found that the risk of gaining weight among subjects who drank coffee with two pieces of sugar was 40% lower than among those who refused it.
As for poor sleep, for those who drink coffee regularly, even a few cups before bedtime will only calm their nerves and, therefore, help them fall asleep.
3
Salt. In the old days in Rus' it was believed that “he who begins a meal with salt and ends it with salt protects himself from seventy-two diseases, including madness and leprosy.” Today this opinion has changed to the diametrically opposite: “Salt is white poison.” In fact, the problem is not the salt itself, but the amount of salt consumed.
The daily salt intake for adults is approximately 5-6 grams. And on average we consume 9.5 grams of it. Because of this excess, salt has now been elevated to the category of poisons. And excessive consumption is primarily due to the fact that people do not know how much salt is contained in natural products. It is believed that you hide the salt shaker away and the problem is solved. However, only 10-15 percent of salt ends up on the table after cooking. The rest is already contained in natural products.
4
Oil. It is believed that vegetable oil has less calories and is therefore more suitable for those who want to lose weight.
In reality, things are not quite like that. Everything, of course, depends on the type of oil. Often vegetable fats contain even more calories than animal fats. So, for example, 100 g of vegetable oil contains 900 kcal, while the same amount of butter contains only 750 kcal.
But what vegetable oils are really useful for is their content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This is the so-called vitamin F - a unique substance that prevents the “overgrowth” of blood vessels. It is believed that vegetable oil is the only natural product that can reverse the disease and dissolve atherosclerotic plaque.
An adult needs to consume at least 20-30 grams of vegetable oils daily.
5
Chocolate. It is believed that it makes you fat, it causes tooth decay, and has a bad effect on the heart. All this is far from the truth.
Yes, a chocolate bar contains up to 500 kilocalories (with our daily norm of 1800-2000 kcal). So no need to eat kilograms of chocolate! And holes in teeth appear not because of sweets, but because teeth are poorly brushed after eating... But chocolate, on the contrary, is good for teeth. Recent studies have shown that cocoa contains antibacterial components that fight dental caries, and tannins contained in chocolate prevent the development of dental bacteria.
Research presented to the European Society of Cardiology shows that polyphenols contained in cocoa beans have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. They promote more efficient blood flow, thereby reducing the workload on the heart.
Research conducted by Harvard University (USA) has proven that people who eat chocolate live longer.
Chocolate contains a chemical compound that has a stimulating effect.
We are talking about the same substance that our brain produces when we are happy or “in love.” So this sweetness really brings joy to people. By the way,
dark dark chocolate without any fillings or additives is the healthiest. It contains twice as many antioxidants, which protect our body cells from damage caused by free radicals. The average antioxidant intake should be 23 mg/day.
— 100 grams of dark chocolate contains 90 mg of antioxidants,
- 40 grams of chocolate contains as many antioxidants as a glass of red wine.
Attention
As you can see, rumors about the harmfulness of some products are greatly exaggerated. However, you should not hope that you can become happy only by eating chocolate, or avoid heart disease with the help of coffee. Remember that food is not medicine.
Will it help you lose weight?
It is known that dark chocolate makes you fat if you abuse it. German scientists have put forward the theory that
sweet dessert will help you lose weight. The research data was published in the periodical Bild. In their opinion, the presence of bitter cocoa bars in the diet not only normalizes weight, but also helps eliminate cholesterol.
Only a natural product can bring benefits. It contains cocoa butter, cocoa mass and sugar. You need to carefully study the composition. Cocoa must be at least 55%. The higher the percentage of powder, the more beneficial it is. The chocolate diet will help you lose weight if you stick to the norm of not eating more than 100 grams of a bar per day. Dessert should be divided into three parts, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can't eat anything except chocolate. You can drink still water and green tea.
Dark chocolate for weight loss
It was previously always recommended to exclude chocolate from the diet when losing weight. The reason is its increased calorie content. But at the same time, the delicacy can significantly speed up metabolism, which is especially important when losing weight.
Due to the activation of metabolic processes, consumed calories can be quickly eliminated from the body. This additionally requires physical activity and sports training.
That is, chocolate itself is ineffective for weight loss, but if you consume the delicacy within reasonable limits and combine your diet with exercise, the result will not be long in coming.
When is the best time to eat chocolate?
Without harm to your health, you can consume chocolate when losing weight in the morning or an hour before training. At this time, the need for energy and calories is especially high. Because of this, what you receive can be spent quickly.
In the evening, it is better to refuse the treat, since the energy received will have nowhere to spend, and it will go into fat deposits. Also, chocolate eaten at night can cause insomnia.
If dark chocolate for weight loss is used not as the main element of the diet, but to improve metabolic processes, then it is best to eat a couple of pieces after the main course.
Allowance of chocolate per day
Dark chocolate for weight loss in the amount of 100 grams per day can only be consumed while on a chocolate diet.
Under normal conditions, you can consume no more than 25 grams per day.
Doctors recommend eating 10-20 grams per day as a remedy. Chocolate really helps improve metabolism, stimulates the production of serotonin, improves mental activity, and prevents the development of depression.
Chocolate is contraindicated to be consumed in any quantity by people who are overweight on an ongoing basis. If you have 10-15 extra pounds, then only a strict chocolate diet is allowed. At other times, the treat should be completely abandoned.
Carbohydrates entering the body are quickly broken down and must be used up quickly too. If you exceed the norm, then unspent carbohydrates go into fat cells, causing weight gain.
Hot cocoa drink
Many people are interested in whether it is possible to gain weight from chocolate if you consume it as a drink?
Hot chocolate is a non-alcoholic drink consisting of cocoa powder heavily diluted with boiled milk. This aromatic drink with sugar and cream is very high in calories. One glass 230 kcal. In addition to its high energy value, it contains useful vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. It contains a lot of potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Hot cocoa contains twice as many antioxidants as red wine. A cup of aromatic drink can lift your spirits and improve your vitality.
You can get better from dessert if you drink it in unlimited quantities, diluting it with heavy cream. If you use low-fat milk instead of cream, you can eliminate 100 kcal.
How behavioral characteristics affect weight gain
Asthenics, as a rule, in principle cannot eat large portions; they are not prone to overeating, which can happen regularly at picnics.
Asthenics often have insufficient production of digestive enzymes, so it is difficult for their body to digest large amounts of food at once. They eat often and in small portions, their feeling of fullness works faster. As a rule, people with such a metabolism are “carbohydrates”. Sometimes they do not eat enough protein, but they need to constantly throw carbohydrates into the firebox, which are instantly burned due to the high pace of life. Even in everyday activities, asthenics are more adrenaline, more active. If an asthenic person does not exercise, as a rule, he still spends a lot of energy during the day - more than a slow picnic.
How to eat without gaining weight
Desserts are best digested before 12 hours. To avoid gaining weight, you should eat it between breakfast and lunch. Between 4 pm and 6 pm, blood sugar levels drop. At this time, you can have a sweet snack without harm to the body.
Is it possible to gain weight from chocolate if you eat it before bed? It's definitely possible. Doctors do not recommend eating sweets at night. This can lead to obesity and insomnia.
Preference should be given to low-calorie sweets. Sweet lovers are interested in the answer to the question, do milk chocolate make you fat ? A milk bar contains more calories. A small piece won't hurt if you eat it before lunch. You can't drink sweets with carbonated drinks. As a result of an uncontrolled diet, acidity in the stomach increases, which can lead to indigestion.
What body types are there?
There are three types of constitution:
- asthenics - thin and tall people with narrow bones;
- picnics - people of medium and short stature with a massive body, short neck, wide face;
- athletics - people with average and tall height, strong physique, they may have noticeable muscles, even if they do little sports.
A person of any body type can become prone to obesity if they undermine the natural balance by overeating, but the greatest tendency is among picnics.
There are almost no pure types of constitution, mostly mixed, but one type predominates. For example, an asthenic person may well be short, and a picnic person may be tall.
