Chocolate For Weight Loss
We know this seems like an oxymoron, but it is true. Dark chocolate contains a high level of Cocoa Flavanols that in research has proven to help boost weight loss results.
Not only that, but a recent study came out showing the decrease in memory loss while taking a supplement with Cocoa Flavanols Extract!
Weight Loss From Chocolate
Eating chocolate can help you lose weight. Dark chocolate, that is. The somewhat bitter substance that is at least 70% cocoa. Not the much more popular heavily sweetened types of chocolate.
Many studies have found that individuals who consume a small amount of dark chocolate daily are less likely to become overweight, and are more likely to lose excess weight than non-chocolate consumers.
Reduces Appetite
The effect on body weight is in part due to the fact that dark chocolate is very satiating. It makes you feel full. This full feeling is produced by the protein, fats and fiber found in dark chocolate.
If you feel fuller, you’re less likely to snack the day away. Another way in which dark chocolate may help with weight loss is it makes people feel happier. It has a definite mood-enhancing effect. Stressed, unhappy people are more likely to gain weight.
Eating a chunk of dark chocolate daily also improves symptoms of insulin resistance. This effect is probably a combination of the healthy fats in the chocolate reducing insulin spikes and the direct effect of some chemicals found in cocoa called flavenols on blood sugar.
The chocolate diet
Neuroscientist Dr. Will Clower suggests eating a small amount of dark chocolate about 20 minutes before each meal, and then another small piece at the end of each meal. The pre-meal chocolate induces you to voluntarily eat less at the meal. The post-meal chocolate prevents blood sugar spikes from occurring in response to the food consumed at the meal.
Blood sugar spikes encourage your body to turn calories into fat and can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and eventually diabetes.
Flavenols
Foods rich in flavenols have many health benefits. In addition to weight loss, they lower blood sugar, improve memory and boost heart health. Cocoa Beans are one of the richest sources of flavenols ever discovered.
It contains a complex mixture of flavenols. Some researchers believe that some specific flavenols called oligomeric procyanidins are the ones most active in promoting weight loss.
However, most likely the complex mixture itself is necessary to produce the full effect of chocolate on appetite, mood and blood sugar.
Can You Lose Weight With Chocolate
Unfortunately, chocolate cannot be used as a substitute for exercise. One randomized controlled trial assigned individuals to various combinations of exercise and chocolate and measured their cardiovascular health and body fat content.
This study found that chocolate with a high flavenol content improved blood circulation, but it did not improve cardiovascular health as much as exercise did. Combining chocolate and exercise did not seem to enhance the effects of exercise, either.
In addition to its effects on weight and blood sugar, dark chocolate is a very nutritious food all on its own. It is loaded with fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and other important minerals. The fats in cocoa are of the heart-healthy type.
And of course cocoa is loaded with healthy antioxidants and chemicals such as polyphenols and the previously mentioned flavenols. Dark chocolate has more antioxidants per ounce than blueberries and Acai berries.