On chocolate there are two opposite points of view. Some accuse him of simply all mortal sins: from caries and acne to excess weight. Others, on the contrary, ascribe to him some miraculous possibilities. Allegedly, it improves mood, increases potency and sharpens the mind. Let's try to figure out which of these, really, corresponds to the truth.

Is chocolate the cause of excess weight?.

Well, that's how much to eat! Of course, if you are accustomed to eating a box of chocolates a day, excess kilograms will inevitably appear. If you limit yourself to at least one medium tile of chocolate per day, then you will get only 300-400 extra kilocalories. For comparison, the same calorie content is, for example, 3 bananas or one roll. And if you consider that the total amount needed per day of kilocalories is 1500-2000, then the chocolate bar is unlikely to cause rapid obesity. And one more interesting fact: if you want to lose weight, then give preference not to milk, but to black chocolate.

Does the caries cause chocolate?.

Of course, it causes. But no more than from any other sweets or dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, prunes and t. But from chocolate to teeth there is not only harm, but also benefit. The fact is that it found an antiseptic substance that inhibits the development of bacteria "responsible" for the formation of tartar and the same caries. That is, the sugar contained in chocolate, caries causes, and the substances that make up the cocoa - on the contrary prevent.

Is it true that there is a lot of caffeine in chocolate?.

For some reason, it is believed that chocolate - it's just a storehouse of caffeine, the content of which it can compete only with coffee. In fact, in one tile of chocolate caffeine contains only some 30 mg. But in a cup of coffee - as much as 180 mg.

Whether to contain in chocolate narcotic substances.

Well, we already found out about caffeine. But this is not the only narcotic substance that can be found here. The fact is that chocolate contains also theobromine, which, in principle, can actually cause a drug-like addiction. But the amount of this theobromine in chocolate is so minimal that for the appearance of real dependence it is necessary to eat for a very long time not less than 400-500 grams of chocolate per day.

In addition, chocolate contains substances that act like marijuana. However, to achieve the desired effect, you need to eat as many as 55 tiles. And this is unlikely to anyone by force.

Can chocolate improve mood?.

It seems that we do not accidentally grab for chocolate, as soon as our mood spoils. It does contain an amino acid that promotes the production of seratonin, which scientists call the "hormone of happiness" (incidentally, bananas have similar properties).

And if you add to this the presence in chocolate of other exciting and even narcotic substances, then chocolate can really raise your mood significantly.

Does chocolate increase sexual arousal?.

Well, this is somewhat exaggerated! It's just that chocolate can stimulate the so-called "love center" in the brain because of phenylethylamine and some other substances. Moreover, scientists believe that women are especially sensitive to them. A man except for a chocolate obviously needs something else!.

beautytime. en.