There’s one food nutritionists absolutely love (in moderation) for its many benefits, but most importantly its ability to improve hair health and mood. The sweet food we’re talking about is pure cocoa or dark chocolate. A sweet-tasting alternative favored by experts (including longevity specialists) and which, in its powdered version, could be an alternative to artificial sweeteners. “Replacing fast sugars with unsweetened sweeteners does not help with long-term weight control. People should consider other ways to reduce their intake of fast sugars, such as eating foods containing natural sugars, such as fruit, or unsweetened foods and beverages,” said Francesco Branca, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO.
To get all of the benefits, you should not choose just any cocoa or dark chocolate. Salena Sainz, founder of the Naturae Nutrition clinic, recommends cocoa with a purity of 85 to 100%. She adds, “You have to choose chocolates with a high percentage of cocoa and without sugar.” Additionally, Sandra Lordén Álvarez, sports nutrition expert, points out the difference between cocoa and dark chocolate. “Pure cocoa is a superfood: it is the raw material that houses the true beneficial properties. Chocolate is made from cocoa powder and, if you don’t choose good dark chocolate with at least 85% cocoa content and no sugar, other less healthy ingredients such as cocoa butter, refined sugars, fructose, hydrogenated oils, etc. may have been added during processing,” she explains.
Álvarez insists on the importance of opting, both for cocoa and dark chocolate, for pure and sugar-free products. To achieve this, it is recommended to read the label and select the least processed products possible. Cocoa is generally the safest, lowest in calories and most recommended option at all times. As for the daily amount, the expert advises not to exceed 10 to 30 grams (an ounce or a teaspoon generally weighs about 10 grams).
Sainz explains, pure cocoa is an important source of magnesium and low levels of this nutrient are linked to depressed moods. In fact, experts at Sanitas recommend dark chocolate to deal with spring asthenia, a disorder that, according to data from the Spanish Society of Dietetics and Food Sciences, affects 4 out of 10 people. Dr. Vicente Mera, expert in longevity, points out in his book, the high fiber, mineral and antioxidant content of dark chocolate, and suggests that “in small doses, it works as a source of satisfaction and self-reward. It has the disadvantage of being addictive, sometimes uncontrollable, and of being a continuous source of calories.” He adds a fun fact: the countries with the highest per capita chocolate consumption (Switzerland and Belgium) have the highest number of Nobel laureates per capita. “It may be a coincidence, but the countries with the least chocolate consumption, such as China, are curiously at the bottom of the list of winners of the Swedish academy,” adds Dr. Vicente Mera.
Cristina Barrous, a nutrition consultant, points out dark chocolate is a sweet food that has a high zinc content, and is the deficiency of this mineral that impacts hormonal health and accelerates hair loss. On the other hand, according to pharmacist Belén Acero, from Farmacia Avenida de América, dark chocolate is one of the foods that ensure hair growth and make it grow strong and healthy.
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