In this era of all kinds of desserts, whether it is a small macaron or a bright matcha cake, it is much more fashionable and attractive than chocolate cake. When it comes to dessert, few people have any fancy fantasies about a chunk of chocolate cake.
However, as a heavyweight product in the dessert world, chocolate cake is probably as timeless as the little black dress. Chocolate cakes come in a variety of styles and can be paired with cream, coffee, and caramel.
Chocolate cake originated in Mexico and is popular in Western countries. It has always been regarded as "happiness food". According to research by the American Dietetic Association, chocolate contains polyphenols, which have many health benefits. Ordinary people eat 200 grams of chocolate every day, which can increase people's antioxidant capacity, effectively reduce cholesterol, and reduce the possibility of cardiovascular disease.
1. Promote Heart Health
Eating chocolate in moderation in a balanced meal rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and maintaining regular exercise is a heart-healthy lifestyle. Researchers believe that flavonoids, the healthful compounds found in plant foods, are responsible for promoting heart health. Flavanols are a subclass of flavonoids that are abundant in apples, grapes, tea, some cocoa powders, and chocolate.
2. Maintain normal blood pressure
Cocoa flavanols may maintain normal blood pressure by maintaining healthy blood vessels. Scientists have found that the Kuna, an American tribe living on islands off the coast of Central America, have high cocoa intake but relatively low rates of hypertension. The researchers speculate that there may be some connection between the two.
3. Supplementary energy
When exercising and traveling, people need to make sure they have enough carbohydrates in their meals. Carbohydrates can delay fatigue and help you keep exercising. Research in sports nutrition shows that, before exercise, the energy supplemented by chocolate to the body can make the glycogen in the muscles and liver in the most full state, which is beneficial to improve sports performance. After exercising, chocolate can replenish the energy expended during exercise in time, delay fatigue, and facilitate the recovery of the body after exercise.
Chocolate also contains various minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. They promote the circulation of oxygen in the blood, replenishing the nutrients you consume during exercise in time.
Plus, chocolate is a happy maker. Numerous scientific studies have shown that chocolate brings a good mood because the phenethylamine in chocolate can help regulate people's emotions. Chocolate is also rich in magnesium, which has sedative and antidepressant properties. A 44-gram piece of dark chocolate contains about 50.6 mg of magnesium.
