Do you love biting into a chocolate square, dark or milk, during your coffee break? Or ending your meal with a little sweet treat? We get it COM-PLETE-LY! So let's take a look at chocolate's impact on our summer body! ☀️
What are the benefits of chocolate?
Before we get to the touchy subjects, let's start by recalling chocolate's many benefits for our body.
Hello, eternal youth!
Did you know that chocolate is rich in magnesium and vitamin E? Thanks to its many superpowers, your body will thank you for eating it!
– Chocolate is one of the foods richest in magnesium! The more cocoa the chocolate contains, the higher it is in magnesium, helping you fight ageing as well as tiredness. 😴
– And how does vitamin E help us stay young? It's an antioxidant that stimulates the nervous system and limits cell damage and ageing. 👶
As you'll have gathered, eating chocolate will help you stay young.
Keep calm and stay zen
Dark chocolate is known for its anti-stress properties! Thanks to the magnesium it contains, biting into a square helps regulate your cortisol levels and can have a relaxing effect on your body.
P.S.: By choosing dark chocolate, you'll boost the production of endorphins, also known as the happy hormone.
A memory like an elephant
Got exams coming up? Chocolate will be your ally! This superfood, rich in flavonoids, methylxanthines and theobromine (quite a mouthful! 🙃), improves blood flow to the part of the brain associated with memory, in other words the hippocampus. Which boosts cognitive performance. Science, people! 🤓
That's all very well, but does chocolate make you put on weight?
What's in chocolate
Before answering the question above, it's essential to understand what chocolate contains. It's mainly made of cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter and, depending on the type, milk. That means it's rich in calories, fat and sugar. So, eaten in excess, it can indeed contribute to weight gain.
It's all about quantity
As with all good things, as long as you eat sensible amounts, there's nothing to worry about! Moderation is key. If you eat lots of chocolate and don't balance your calorie intake with physical activity, you'll probably put on weight. However, moderate consumption as part of a balanced diet won't necessarily lead to weight gain. Go for reasonable portions (one napolitain a day won't do you any harm, we promise!).
Dark vs. milk chocolate: a calorie battle
Calorie content can vary depending on brands and specific recipes, but in general:
– Dark chocolate contains on average between 500 and 600 kcal per 100g. Its fat content is higher because of the greater amount of cocoa, but it generally contains less sugar than milk chocolate.
– Milk chocolate contains on average between 520 and 580 kcal per 100g. Although its fat content may be slightly lower than dark chocolate's, it contains more sugar and more calories from the added milk.
Now let's compare our 2 signature recipes: 71% dark chocolate and 41% smooth milk chocolate.
– Our dark chocolate has 566 kcal, 43g of fat and 26g of sugar per 100g.
– Our milk chocolate has 580 kcal, 40g of fat and 38g of sugar per 100g.
In terms of calories, dark and milk chocolate are fairly close, although milk chocolate can be slightly higher due to its sugar and milk content. However, choosing between the two should also take other nutritional factors into account, such as antioxidant content (found in vitamin E) and minerals (like magnesium). If you're after health benefits, dark chocolate is generally considered the better option. But as always, moderation is key, whichever variety you choose. 🍫
