Dark Chocolate a Healthy Afternoon Snack
Dark Chocolate a Healthy Afternoon Snack – According to a new study, dark chocolate, especially the unsweetened kind, provides many health benefits.
The study shows that chocolate containing high cacao content can lower blood pressure and improve attention, particularly in the afternoons, when you’re experiencing a “midday slump.” Cocolate is a stimulant and activates your brain. The study, sponsored by Hershey Company, is the first one to use electroencephalography, or EEG technology. The EEG technology takes images of the brain while it is performing a cognitive task and measure the brain activity.
Lead researcher Larry Stevens and his team examined the EEG levels and blood pressure effects of consuming a 60 percent cacao confection compared with five control conditions. Participants who consumed the 60% cacao chocolate were more attentive and their blood pressure also increased for a short time than those who didn’t.
Researchers also examined the effects of a high caco chocolate which included included L-theanine on the participants. L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that acts as a relaxant. researchers found that in addition to improvement in attention, participants also had lower blood pressure. Researchers think that since chocolate increases blood pressure, combining it with L-theanine can help reduce the short-term hike in blood pressure that happens after consuming chocolate.
Stevens hopes that the findings will encourage chocolate manufacturers to make healthy chocolate that combines the benefits of cacao and L-theanine.
Category: News
