Sometimes, just sometimes a snippet of knowledge presents itself which refutes my "all the good things in life seem to be bad for you" presuppositions and today, with a fanfare of trumpets in the background, the health benefits of Dark Chocolate (a very old time guilty favourite) made themselves known and God himself gave me a conspiratorial wink.
"Dark chocolate boosts your brain while protecting you from heart disease and cancer" they tell me in my new favourite book "Training your Brain" in the "Teach Yourself" series from Hodder. "Eating approximately 20-150g a day of dark chocolate can improve your learning and your memory...improve blood flow and therefore oxygen to your brain...relax your blood vessels reducing blood pressure, brain damage and risk of heart disease."
Researching this further I found that the health benefits are vast and somewhat of a well kept secret (It was even used in the Spanish courts as a medication and brain stimulant and was so highly prized that its presence and use was considered a state secret, the revelation of which was punishable by death! - I know how they feel though as I have murderous thoughts when I find my stash depleted too!) I will paraphrase the "Teach Yourself" data here as it is a well collated.
"Professor Ian McDonald found the increased blood flows in the cerebral cortex persisted for up to three hours after eating dark chocolate. Dr Helen Berg of Harvard found that rates of heart disease were lower by 1,280 percent in parts of the world (for example, Panama), where drinking dark chocolate was part of the everyday diet." Now that's science I can believe in!
The Magic of Dark Chocolate
- Dark chocolate contains anandamide (known as the BLISS chemical" because it makes you feel good (and is similar to THC you get in Cannabis except that it doesn't act on the whole brain and make you lose your mind [though surely there are some health benefits in that too?])).
- Dark chocolate contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) which allows the anandamide (as well as general dopamine (feel good chemical that cocaine tries to replace)) to circulate more freely in the brain. These are already high in children but less so in older adults resulting in decreased physical activity, mental spontaneity and general levels of joy. A shot of dark chocolate then can bring back your youthful exuberance! A good antidote to negative thinking and depression too.
- Dark chocolate also produces endorphins that induce that loving feeling that can lead to sex. (Do I really need to go on)
- Dark Chocolate contains magnesium which decreases coagulation of your blood and helps your heart deliver oxygen to your vital organs.
- Dark Chocolate is rich in antioxidants (flavonols). It is twice as rich in them as red wine, three times richer than green tea and five times richer than the well favoured blueberries. This means less DNA damage and susceptibility to tumours and cancers as well as less sticky platelets which decreases the risk of strokes.
- Dark Chocolate contains theobromine which is a brain stimulant similar to caffeine, but unlike caffeine (which brings a downer after it has worn off) theobromine is gentler and more sustained, lasts four times longer and is kinder to your heart.
- Dark Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which activates the neurotransmitters in your brain that control mental attention, concentration and alertness. This gives the same effect as enjoying a great movie, sports events or social gathering and results in that "time just flew" experience of euphoric engagement.
Well there it is. A great day in knowledge gathering which I am now celebrating with a great big mug of dark chocolate. As they say in the book - "Sometimes life is less complicated if you just eat the chocolate"...nuff said.
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