Chocolate: know the pros and cons of the food – 08/04/2023 – Equilíbrio

At this time, Easter eggs become an indispensable item on supermarket shelves and, therefore, it is natural that chocolate consumption is higher for both adults and children. Can food, however, bring harm to health? The problem, according to specialists, is in excess and in the type consumed.

Chocolate has compounds that are good for the body, however, it is important to pay attention to the label to understand what type of product you are consuming. The cocoa bean, for example, is rich in flavonoids that have an antioxidant function and neutralize free radicals, protecting against inflammation and other diseases. They also have a vasodilator effect and are therefore associated with lowering blood pressure, in addition to fighting platelet aggregation, protecting against cardiovascular disease.

Cocoa also has tryptophan, which stimulates the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which induce feelings of pleasure.

But, although these beneficial compounds can reach 10% of the dry weight of the grain, they also impart a bitter taste – so, it is common for their content to be reduced with industrial processing.

The problem is that normally consumed chocolates do not only contain cocoa, but also sugar and fat, components associated with weight gain – which, in turn, is a risk factor for diseases.

“The problem is not in the ingredient, it’s in the dose”, says nutritionist Paula Victória Félix, a doctoral student at the School of Public Health at the University of São Paulo (USP). The professional says that there are ways to enjoy chocolate without harming your health – or your waistline.

If the children have a lot of eggs, the ideal is to save some to be consumed over the following weeks or months, for example.

Brazil is one of the countries that consume the most chocolate in the world. In terms of sales volume, it occupies 5th place, with the chocolate sector producing almost 700 thousand tons in 2021 alone, a growth of 35.9% compared to 2020, according to data from Abicab (Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Chocolates, Amendoim and Bullets).

More cocoa, less sugar

When choosing an Easter egg, the expert recommends choosing a product with a higher cocoa content, as this will lower the sugar concentration. Afterwards, limit yourself to 3 or 4 squares a day, or a 25g portion (something around 130 calories). So you can take advantage of the food and enjoy Easter guilt-free.

In addition, the amount of cocoa in different chocolate products and brands varies, so many studies on the health effects of this food are inconclusive. “It is difficult to make comparisons and, therefore, recommend a beneficial dose to prevent diseases”, says the nutritionist.

Easter eggs are high in fat

Brazilian Easter, however, is marked by chocolates rich in saturated fat and added sugar. For the first time in the country, the products carry alerts on the packaging if they have a high concentration of components, in addition to sodium.

In 2023, the seals of “High in saturated fat” and “High in added sugar” prevail in chocolate eggs, according to a survey by Idec (Brazilian Institute for Consumer Protection). Report by Sheet showed that the agency analyzed 31 products from the brands Lacta, Arcor, Nestlé, Linea and Ferrero, and found that all items observed had amounts of saturated fat and added sugar above the recommended by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency). With regard to sodium, no excess was identified.

Nutritionist Laís Amaral, from Idec, points out that these items, however, should not be the only ones that the consumer needs to observe. The predominance of emulsifiers and flavorings in the composition, used to make food more attractive, place products in the ultra-processed category, which are equally harmful to health.

Sophie Deram, nutritionist and doctor in endocrinology from the Faculty of Medicine of USP (University of São Paulo), advised that the person consume the chocolate they like best, but in small quantities, using the labels as support for this choice.

With information from Folha