On the 19th (local time), a video titled ‘Why You Should Eat Chocolate Every Day’ was released on the YouTube channel ‘Bryan Johnson’.
In the video, he said that he prevented aging by eating chocolate every day for three years. He said, “You should not just eat any chocolate, but you should select good chocolate. It should be pure cacao, unprocessed, free from heavy metals, and high in flavonols.” Brian Johnson is famous for his ambition to return his physical age to 18 years old. In fact, he is known to have the heart age of a 37-year-old, the skin age of a 28-year-old, and the lung capacity and physical strength of an 18-year-old. Last year, controversy arose after receiving a blood plasma transfusion from his 17-year-old son. What are the effects of ‘eating chocolate every day’ that he recommended?
In fact, chocolate is effective in preventing aging. Cacao, the raw material for chocolate, is rich in polyphenol, an antioxidant. Polyphenols have antioxidant effects that inhibit oxidation in our body. In addition, flavonols, which make up most of the polyphenols, are known to be good for arterial diseases as they lower blood pressure, dilate blood vessels, and protect blood vessels.
Chocolate is also a food that improves your mood. ‘Phenylethylamine’ in chocolate is a representative substance that improves mood. This substance is a hormone secreted when you feel loving emotions. Typically, 100g of chocolate contains 50 to 100 mg of phenylethylamine. And cocoa beans, the raw material for chocolate, contain substances that inhibit the breakdown of the neurotransmitter anandamide. Anandamide is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good.
Chocolate is also effective in reducing depression. In fact, according to a research team from UCL University in the UK, the group that consumed dark chocolate had a 70% lower chance of developing symptoms of depression than the group that did not eat it. Sweet foods like chocolate reduce the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the body and help relieve depression by helping the secretion of serotonin, which improves mood.
However, if you eat it too often and in large quantities because it is good for your body, it can cause obesity or dyslipidemia. This is because both dark chocolate and regular chocolate are high in calories, approximately 550 kcal per 100g. When eating chocolate in a plate, eat only about a third of it. Also, it is better to eat chocolate with cocoa butter rather than vegetable oil and chocolate with at least 55% cacao content.
