As we’re only a few weeks into the New Year, you might currently find yourself trying to cut certain foods out of your diet – new year, new me and all that jazz. We recently heard from fitness blogger Lucy Mountain about why avoiding certain foods isn’t always the best idea and now another expert has shared some words of wisdom on the subject. Nutritionist and personal trainer Keris Marsden recently spoke about how one food, that many people try and stop themselves from eating when on a diet, can actually have some major benefits.
We’re talking of course, about chocolate. Yes, according to Marsden, eating chocolate could actually help you have a better night of sleep. She explained how the hormone serotonin is essential for the production of melatonin in the body. Melatonin, in case you didn’t know, is the hormone that regulates our sleep cycle. She went on to say how eating certain foods can increase the levels of serotonin and thus boost the production of melatonin in the body – and one such food is chocolate.
She said, “Chocolate increases serotonin – serotonin helps you fall asleep at night. So there you go.”
And good sleep isn’t the only benefit of eating chocolate. According to researchers from University College London people who eat dark chocolate are less likely to be depressed. In the study, the team looked at data from 13,626 adults, including their chocolate consumption, depressive symptoms, and a range of other factors including their height, physical activity and any other chronic health problems. The analysis of the data revealed that participants who reported eating dark chocolate in two 24-hour periods had 70% lower odds of reporting depressive symptoms than those who didn’t eat chocolate at all.
Dr Sarah Jackson, who led the study, said, “This study provides some evidence that consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, may be associated with reduced odds of clinically relevant depressive symptoms.” Daily Mirror
In this new year, if you have planned to give up on chocolates completely, think again. The good news is that this is not a mere indulgence, eating chocolates has its benefits too..