Kompas.com – Valentine is synonymous with chocolate. This food is made from cocoa derived from cocoa tree seeds.
Chocolate was apparently used by some ancient Mesoamerika cultures as food, medicine, ritual offerings, and perhaps as a currency.
Until now, chocolate remains high value. The global chocolate market developed almost 20 percent between 2016 to 2021, with an income of around Rp 15.2 trillion in 2021, according to the Statista Market research firm.
Is chocolate good for health?
The taste certainly plays a role in the popularity of chocolate. However, you may also have heard that delicious food is good for health. What is the truth of this assumption?
“Chocolate is clearly good for you,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, a heart expert and nutritional professor at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
He continued, whether or not chocolate for health depends on how much cocoa hanging inside, as well as other additional ingredients.
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Cocoa contains a lot of fiber and various phytonutrients, said Mozaffarian, refers to natural compounds found in plants.
Cocoa is known to contain around 380 different compounds, including flavanol compounds that attract the attention of many research because of their potential health benefits.
However, it is unclear how many other flavanol and phytonutrients are needed to improve health, or whether the chocolate stems you choose contain enough compounds to provide benefits. Experts have different opinions in this regard.
Dark chocolate usually contains more cocoa than milk chocolate, although it can vary, so it is important to check the label carefully.
For health benefits, Mozaffarian suggests choosing dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70 percent.
Various short -term human trials show that dark chocolate or standardized cocoa supplements can reduce blood pressure moderately and improve blood cholesterol and blood vessel health in adults.
Some long -term observational studies also find that those who consume more cocoa, may have a lower risk of several cardiovascular diseases.
In a systematic review published in February in the journal Jama Network Open, Mozaffarian and his colleagues examined how certain foods and nutrients are related to heart health conditions.
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They found evidence that eating chocolate was associated with a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, with an estimated that chocolate consumption averaged 10 grams per day related to a 6 percent decrease in the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
