There are some people who accuse scientists of wasting their time investigating unnecessary studies, but that accusation could not possibly be attributed to Álex Oncina, dietitian-nutritionist, researcher at the Nutrition Epidemiology Unit of the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, who is able to confidently tell us the exact number of daily grams of chocolate we can eat based on research by other academics to support his claim.
The science bit… Cocoa, the soluble powder extracted from the seed of the tree of the same name, and which should be the main ingredient in any chocolate worth its salt, is a bitter substance whose cardioprotective benefits have been demonstrated. Furthermore, dark chocolate – understood as the richest in cocoa – is the densest in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoids, specifically flavan-3-ols and their oligomers.
Now, the important bit, the benefits! 2.5 grams of pure natural cocoa powder daily are enough to improve visual acuity in healthy young adults in daylight conditions, according to research by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and the Institute of Science and Technology of Food and Nutrition (ICTAN) of the CSIC.
Experts attribute the positive effects on photopic visual acuity to an improvement in attention or processing of visual information due to flavanols and theobromine – a group of central nervous system stimulant alkaloids, similar to the caffeine in coffee. – from cocoa. Yeah, okay, whatever! We’re just off to eat more chocolate! Science says so!
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