Calorie content of chocolate
Chocolate is a confectionery product made from cocoa beans ground with sugar. Depending on the concentration of cocoa in chocolate, there are black, dessert, milk and white chocolate. Due to its unique properties, chocolate is one of the most popular desserts. The calorie content of chocolate is a variable concept. The energy value of chocolate depends not only on the mass fraction of cocoa, but also on other additives used in the manufacturing process. What are the health benefits of chocolate? How many calories are in different types of chocolate? How to combine chocolate and diet?
Chocolate: varieties, calorie content of chocolate, useful properties
Chocolate and its beneficial properties are still the subject of discussions among physicians, many of whom agree that chocolate is an indispensable component of the diet due to its high content of nutrients, nutritional properties and taste.
Nutrient composition of chocolate:
- Carbohydrates - from 48 to 55 g;
- Fat - 32-38 g;
- Proteins - 4.7 - 6.2 g.
Also, chocolate contains alkaloids (theobromine and caffeine - up to 1%) and phenylethylamine (up to 0.5%):
- Phenylethylamine is a chemical substance that is the basis of many neurotransmitters, derivatives of this substance are drugs and stimulants;
- Theobromine is an alkaloid, similar in properties to caffeine, in low dosages causes excitement of the heart muscle;
- Caffeine is an alkaloid that is a powerful psychostimulant.
It is these substances in the composition of chocolate that affect the emotional centers of the brain, causing a feeling of a certain euphoria, helping to improve mood, as well as defining the properties of chocolate as an antidepressant. The concentration of these substances in chocolate is negligible, which makes this product absolutely safe for humans.
The calorie content of chocolate in 100 g of the product reaches 680 calories and will depend on the composition and fillers of the treat. At the same time, the calorie content of chocolates is slightly lower and reaches 480 calories per 100 g of product.
Chocolate contains a number of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, the most important of which are potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, as well as vitamins PP, B1, B2, E.
With a relatively high calorie content of chocolate, this product has unique properties:
- Tannin stimulates the digestive tract, helps to remove toxins from the body, providing a mild laxative effect;
- Potassium and magnesium activate the muscular and nervous systems, which makes chocolate a particularly useful product for people involved in sports. Magnesium stimulates the rhythm of the heart, ensures the transmission of nerve impulses. Potassium has a normalizing effect on blood pressure;
- Glucose improves brain activity, increases work capacity, reduces mental fatigue;
- The combination of cocoa butter and sugar has a stimulating effect on the production of serotonin and endorphin in the brain;
- Phenols in chocolate prevent the narrowing of blood vessels, the formation of blood clots, stimulate blood flow, thereby reducing the burden on the heart;
- Theobromine and caffeine increase the body's resistance to stress.
The high calorie content of any kind of chocolate contributes to the rapid saturation of the body and a longer preservation of satiety.
Despite the high calorie content of chocolate, this product does not lead to obesity when consumed in moderation. It is also recommended to consume chocolate in limited quantities for hypertension, diabetes, and various heart diseases.
The results of some independent studies have shown that regular consumption of chocolate in small quantities reduces the risk of developing gastrointestinal ulcers, various neoplasms, and also enhances the body's protective functions.
Bitter chocolate: calorie content, composition
Chocolate containing 60% or more of cocoa powder is bitter by modern standards.
100 g of dark chocolate, the calorie content of which reaches 540 calories, contains up to 40% sugar, up to 30% cocoa butter and about 30% cocoa, which determines the composition of real chocolate. Bitter chocolate, the calorie content of which is slightly lower than the energy value of the dairy varieties of this product, can also be added with nuts, coffee grains, candied fruits, waffles and other components that change the calorie content of chocolate. Recently, chocolate with various candy fillings has been especially popular. When purchasing chocolate, you need to pay special attention to its composition. Cocoa butter is an expensive ingredient and is often replaced with cheaper fats (palm, coconut, peanut butter, animal fats), which significantly increase the calorie content of chocolate, reducing its quality and taste.
Milk chocolate: calorie content, composition
Milk chocolate, the calorie content of which reaches 550 calories, contains 20% milk powder, up to 30% cocoa (up to 15% cocoa butter) and up to 35% sugar. Due to its lower cocoa content, milk chocolate does not have the health benefits of dark chocolate. However, it is milk chocolate that is recommended for children, since it does not have such a strong stimulating effect on the nervous system.
Milk and cream, which are part of milk chocolate, whose calorie content is quite high, have a calming effect and help to effectively cope with insomnia and excessive arousal. Milk chocolate, unlike bitter chocolate, is recommended to be excluded from the diet.
Chocolate and Diet: Allowable Amounts
How many calories are in chocolate? The calorie content of chocolate can reach 680 calories, depending on the ingredients and various flavors. How can chocolate be combined with a diet with a high calorie content?
It should be noted that with a diet, only dark chocolate is allowed without flavors (nuts, dried fruits, candied fruits, fondant fillings). Chocolate affects the brain pleasure centers, and thus, causes a sense of satisfaction. Some nutritionists recommend finishing each meal during your diet with a small piece of chocolate that contains enough stimulants to keep you feeling full. With such a consumption of this delicacy during a diet, you can not take into account how many calories are in chocolate.
But milk chocolate and other chocolate products should be completely excluded from the diet, as well as the amount of their use in the usual diet should be reduced. Thus, the calorie content of chocolates is slightly lower than the calorie content of chocolate, but the sweets do not have such useful properties, do not provide such a long-lasting feeling of satiety, and also do not cause a feeling of satisfaction.
To compose a dietary diet, nutritionists recommend giving preference to varieties of dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (from 72% and above), the bright taste and nutritional properties of which can provide long-term satiety and satisfaction. At the same time, the calorie content of chocolate with a higher concentration of cocoa is much lower, since the calorie content of 100 g of cocoa is 400 calories.
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