chocolate regulates mood

　　Why chocolate is the most popular food, especially favored by women? Another answer to this question is: the sugar in chocolate food can increase The level of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which can also increase mood. The fat also increases the endorphin content of another brain excitatory transmitter. Chocolate''s temptation to brain cells may even exceed alcohol. In experiments, when animals were provided with alcohol and chocolate drinks at the same time, some animals tended to reduce the amount of alcohol to drink chocolate.

　　I see British psychologist and Dr. David Benton of the University of Wales-Swansea said that chocolate is one of the powerful mood regulators. In order to prove this, he conducted the following experiment: playing sad music to the students and letting them feel down. Then give them chocolate milk or carob milk (soy milk with cocoa flavor) similar to chocolate. It turned out that chocolate can significantly increase their mood, and when they are down, they will have a desire to drink chocolate milk. Carob milk, a substitute for chocolate, does not have this effect. Dr. Benton said, "The sugar in chocolate can increase serotonin, and the fat in it can calm the emotions. In addition, chocolate also contains several pharmacologically active chemicals, such as phenethylamine, etc. The commonly used stimulant amphetamine is somewhat similar and can excite the central nervous system."

　　In addition, researchers from the San Diego School of Neuroscience recently suggested that chocolate has another interesting reason for affecting the brain: chocolate may have the same mood-stabilizing effect as marijuana. They found some new ingredients in cocoa powder and chocolate. Their chemical structure belongs to endogenous cannabinoids (with analgesic effect), and they share a receptor with cannabis on brain cells. This means that the chemical components in chocolate may have produced euphoria and comfort similar to those after taking cannabis by activating the cannabis receptor. If enough endocannabinate enters the brain after eating chocolate, it will produce "temporary euphoria." The researchers pointed out that this may explain why some people are particularly fond of chocolate.

　　Chocolate——Preventing the deterioration of fat in the blood

　　This statement was also proposed by American nutritionist Jane Carper, who said: "Recently (As early as 2002) The Japanese people through the test confirmed that the antioxidant in cacao juice (one of the main ingredients of chocolate) is catechins, which is known to be the antioxidant active ingredient present in black tea and green tea. Japan’s Researchers have detected polyphenols content of 7%-13% from cocoa juices of different origins, which means that chocolate probably prevents the pernicious lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing cell membranes from hardening or being damaged, while also preventing blood Fat deterioration. Further studies have shown that adding polyphenols purified from chocolate to human blood samples can indeed inhibit the damage of free radicals to cells." This has brought the gospel to the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia.