The dark chocolate is known to have many health benefits .Also, one of the reasons we like it so much is because it puts us the batteries.But …
Is dark chocolate really useful to activate us?
This has been asked by a group of researchers from the University of Northern Arizona, who have put to work to find out.
This study demonstrates chocolate can increase the cerebral characteristics of attention and significantly affect blood pressure levels .Historically, chocolate has been recognized as a vasodilator, which means that it widens the vessels blood and reduces blood pressure in the long term, but chocolate also contains some powerful stimulants.The researchers wanted to investigate whether the people they consumed men of chocolate notice an immediate stimulating effect.
"Chocolate is indeed a stimulant and activates the brain in a very special way" - said Stevens, professor of psychological sciences at The University of Northern Arizona also added that "It can increase the brain characteristics of attention, and also significantly affects blood pressure levels."
Dark chocolate lifts the mood, but also blood pressureThe study, published in the journal NeuroRegulation, is the first to examine the acute effects of chocolate in terms of its influence on brain attention and the first study of chocolate consumption that is performed using electroencephalography (EEG).This technology allows you to take pictures of the brain while a cognitive task is being done and measure brain activity.
Historically, chocolate has been recognized as a vasodilatad or, which means that it widens blood vessels and reduces blood pressure in the long term, but chocolate also contains some powerful stimulants .Stevens said his team wanted to investigate whether people who consume chocolate got this stimulating effect immediately.
Stevens and his colleagues conducted the study with 122 participants between the ages of 18 and 25.The researchers examined the levels of EEG and the effects of blood pressure after consuming a cocoa candy from 60 % compared to five control conditions.
The results for participants who consumed chocolate with 60% cocoa showed that the brain was more alert and attentive after consumption.His blood pressure also increased for a short time.
The most interesting results came n of one of the control conditions, with the introduction of a chocolate with 60% cocoa that included L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that acts as a relaxant.This combination has not been introduced in the market, but the researchers observed very interesting data.
«L-theanine is a really fascinating product that lowers blood pressure and produces what we call alpha waves in the brain, which make us calm and peaceful »- Stevens said.« We think that if chocolate raises blood pressure sharply, and L-theanine lowers blood pressure, then perhaps L-theanine could counteract the effects short-term hypertensive chocolate.»
In the participants who consumed the chocolate content with L-theanine, the researchers recorded an immediate drop in blood pressure.This finding could make it possible to market a chocolate that hypertensive people could take without risk to their heart.
Stevens hopes that the results of this study will encourage manufacturers to investigate further and consider the benefits of developing a chocolate bar made with high in cocoa and L-theanine.
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