Chocolate is one of those small pleasures that life gives us without which many, including myself, would not find meaning in all this. Jokes aside, when we are young, we eat everything without worrying, but one day we go to the doctor, and he makes us pay the bill for all the excesses that we have committed throughout life: you cannot eat this, you cannot eat it other, you should reduce such, etc.
High cholesterol means the end, or at least moderation, of many products and foods that we love the most. Many people have doubts about what to eat and what not to eat if they have high cholesterol levels.
Can you eat chocolate with high cholesterol? At FastlyHealwe, explain if you can continue eating this delicious food.
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Chocolate and cholesterol
Following the logic that everything good and tasty is bad for health and raises normal cholesterol levels, chocolate should be the first product we should remove from the diet. But sometimes logic is wrong; therefore, before venturing to answer, let’s analyze the nutritional values of chocolate.
Chocolate provides about 500 calories per 100 grams and has about 35% fat. However, a third of these facts correspond to stearic acid, an element known to have favorable effects in regulating cholesterol levels.
The other third of the fat in chocolate is the same acid found in olive oil, monounsaturated oleic, which is famous for lowering both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol, is cholesterol that the body does not eliminate and accumulates in the blood and arteries. Eating chocolate is an excellent way to keep its levels low.
Yes, but …
We can already answer: yes, you can eat chocolate with high cholesterol. However, this statement has to be qualified.
Chocolate is made from a mixture of three different products: sugar on the one hand and cocoa paste and cocoa butter on the other. Over the years, the recipes have varied, and other varieties have been created, such as milk chocolate, with almonds or white chocolate, which is not even chocolate.
Not all types of chocolate have the same nutritional values . Therefore, not all chocolates have neutral or beneficial effects if you have high cholesterol since the amounts and proportions of cocoa, butter, and sugar can vary greatly.
As you have seen before, cocoa contains many calories, so it should be eaten in moderation and without excess; for this reason, we recommend that you always consume dark chocolate, as black as possible, with a cocoa concentration greater than 70%. The higher the concentration of cocoa, the more bitter the chocolate will be, so if you want, you can take it in the form of ice cream or smoothie to maintain its fantastic taste without making you so bitter.
Other benefits of chocolate
- Combat depression: eating chocolate significantly increases serotonin levels, the neurotransmitter responsible for providing pleasure and well-being, whose stories are deficient in depressive states or pre-menstrual syndrome. Read the following article to discover the other foods that help produce serotonin.
- Increase libido: chocolate is a magnificent natural aphrodisiac; consuming it is related to the levels of sexual desire, especially in the case of women.
- Rich in magnesium: this mineral is present in cocoa, making chocolate an excellent antioxidant.
- Keeps the heart healthy: Aside from all the benefits you have seen, chocolate keeps your heart strong and healthy thanks to its high content of flavonoids, a component that decongests the arteries and prevents heart attacks and strokes.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can you eat chocolate with high cholesterol? We recommend that you enter our category of Blood, heart and circulation .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.