Researchers have decoded the sensory processing mechanisms that make the sensation of eating chocolate so irresistible to most people.
Optimal intake of B-type procyanidins, a class of polyphenols found in apples, cocoa, and red wine, is linked to metabolic and the hormesis of hemodynamic responses.
For postmenopausal women, eating 100g of chocolate within an hour of waking in the morning helped burn body fat and decrease blood sugar levels.
Eating dark chocolate can help reduce anxiety and improve symptoms of clinical depression. People who ate dark chocolate in two 24-hour periods had 70% reduced odds of reporting depressive symptoms than those who did not eat chocolate. However, milk chocolate did not produce the same effect. Dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator implicated in mood regulation.
According to researchers, cocoa flavanols could have a neuroprotective effect. In a recent study, researchers found enhancements in working memory and improved visual information processing in participants who had taken cocoa flavanols. Additionally, women who ate cocoa products reported less cognitive impairments following sleep deprivation.
According to a new study, the brain's pleasure response to tasting food may be measured through the eyes by using ERG.
Researchers have new evidence in rats to explain how it is that chocolate candies can be so completely irresistible. The urge to overeat such deliciously sweet and fatty treats traces to an unexpected part of the brain and its production of a natural, opium-like chemical.
Eating a moderate amount of chocolate each week may be associated with a lower risk of stroke in men, according to a new study published in Neurology.
