Chocolate is one of the tastiest foods there is and it is a sin of gluttony that we often cannot give up. But are we sure it's really a sin of gluttony?
Actually no, or rather, for some types of chocolate we can say the exact opposite and that is even good for your health!
Why chocolate is good for our body
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.), a spontaneous plant native to Central America that Christopher Columbus brought to Europe at the Spanish court in 1502.
Cocoa beans are rich in flavonoids (antioxidants that prevent cardiovascular diseases and fight free radicals) and mineral salts such as magnesium (the lack of which causes insomnia, anxiety, nervousness and muscle problems); they also contain serotonin, a substance also known as the "happiness hormone".
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that not only regulates mood by inducing joy and happiness in us, but also has an action on sleep frequency and sexual desire. In addition, it is also extremely important in combating anxiety and depression.
Which type of chocolate is good for you
The benefits to our body, as previously mentioned, are given by cocoa which is only one of the components of chocolate, so the more dark the chocolate is, the more the cocoa component is predominant.
In general, we can say that what is good for you is dark chocolate from 75% onwards.
How much chocolate you can eat per day
The daily amount of chocolate suggested by various scientific studies is around 30 gr (two squares), but since cocoa is not the only ingredient in the composition of chocolate, perhaps it is appropriate not to eat it every day so as to avoid introducing too many calories in our body.