Does bitter chocolate and cocoa increase hemoglobin in the blood — scientific facts

To quickly raise the level of hemoglobin in the blood, doctors recommend including beef and offal of cattle in the diet.

What about other products? How, for example, do cocoa beans affect hemoglobin levels? Is it possible to use chocolate for anemia and in what quantity? Which variety should I give preference to?

Effect on hemoglobin levels

High–quality chocolate is based on cocoa. In bitter chocolate, it is about 75%, in milk – up to 40%. In turn, cocoa beans contain iron (almost 8 milligrams per 100 grams of product).

Hemoglobin consists of iron, with the help of which oxygen is transported along with the blood (the process of its oxidation and reduction of iron under the action of carbon dioxide occurs).

Total, chocolate Really raises hemoglobin levels , moreover, is no worse than pomegranate or beetroot, but not as effective as beef and its offal. And this is relevant only for high-quality natural dark chocolate with a high cocoa content.

Is it possible to eat chocolate at low levels (anemia)? Yes, the recommended daily allowance is up to 100 grams (1 medium bar of chocolate). It is recommended to use it in small portions, but often – it improves the absorption of iron.

Can it be consumed at elevated levels? There are no categorical contraindications for its use in this condition, but you should not abuse it either. It is recommended to give preference to milk or white natural chocolate with increased hemoglobin (it is prepared on the basis of cocoa butter, which contains less iron than cocoa powder extracted from the pulp of the fruit).

Also, a slight increase in hemoglobin levels is facilitated by the fact that chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins (in particular, serotonin). They, in turn, stimulate metabolic processes involving vitamins B-group and D (necessary just for the biosynthesis of iron molecules).

Which kind is the most useful?

If the goal is to increase hemoglobin, then the most useful type will be, which has the highest cocoa content . This criterion is met by hot (meaning a drink based on milk or cream, cocoa and sugar) and dark chocolate. Milk and white chocolate are less useful.

As for dietary chocolate (as well as vegetarian, made without a dairy base), everything in them also depends on the percentage of cocoa in the composition.

Nutritionists recommend in this regard to give preference to chocolate based on rice "milk" &8212; and the taste remains similar to it, as when using milk, and the load on the gastrointestinal tract is insignificant (due to the low lipid content).

Just a few years ago, confectioners developed a new type of chocolate – "ruby". It has the same cocoa content as milk chocolate.

And what about cocoa?

Cocoa, as mentioned above, increases hemoglobin due to the presence of iron in the composition (the content is comparable to apples) and stimulating the production of special groups of hormones that accelerate metabolic processes in the body.

And it is hot chocolate based on regular milk (and not butter, which is used in the traditional manufacture of chocolate) that is more useful and effective for normalizing hemoglobin levels.

Cocoa powder is conventionally divided into two varieties:

1. Natural. Has a tart, slightly sour taste. It is obtained by drying the pulp of cocoa beans and then grinding them.
2. Alkalized. Its taste is milder, as it is processed with an alkaline base during drying.

The iron content in them is the same, but the latter (processed with alkali) cocoa has a significantly lower content of B-group vitamins. Therefore, the bioavailability of the iron included in it is lower.

Today, not only cocoa powder obtained from the pulp of cocoa beans is used for the production of chocolate, but also cocoa butter. In the latter, the iron content is lower, it is mainly used for the manufacture of chocolate pastes, nougat, glazes.

5 more facts about the benefits for the cardiovascular system

Since chocolate contains a large amount of glucose and fat (dairy or vegetable), its consumption is insignificant Increases blood viscosity . But blood pressure does not increase at the same time, since cocoa stimulates the production of endorphins – they are insignificant dilate blood vessels of the brain, increasing vascular conduction. Also, eating chocolate:

1. Does not significantly reduce low-density cholesterol levels. At the same time, the concentration of high-density cholesterol (it is often called "useful") increases slightly. This will help prevent the development of atherosclerosis. But if vegetable or trans fats were used in the production of chocolate, then its use will lead to a sharp increase in lipids in the blood. Nutritionists highly recommend against eating cheap chocolate, it is better to make it yourself at home.
2. Normalizes the balance of B-group vitamins in smooth muscle fibers. Although slightly, it reduces the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, and prevents rupture of muscle fibers of the heart muscle .
3. Improves vascular tone. The effect on the capillaries of the brain is especially noticeable. It is due to this that the amount of oxygen absorbed by neurons increases, which improves the reaction rate, concentration of attention .
4. Prevents spasm of blood vessels and arteries. This reduces the risk of their rupture, which is the main cause of stroke. However, because of this effect, chocolate should not be consumed with varicose veins – cocoa in this case will lead to further thinning of the vessel walls.
5. Reduces the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease, angina pectoris. This is achieved at the expense of all the same endorphins , which regulate the endocrine system (including the pituitary gland, pancreas).

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Conclusion

In total, cocoa products really help to raise hemoglobin levels, and no worse than pomegranates, apples and beets. But still not as effective as animal products. A 100-gram bar of black (bitter) chocolate contains almost the daily norm of iron for the human body.

It should be consumed in small portions, stretching the tile for the whole day. And hot chocolate is considered the most useful for increasing hemoglobin. It is even better to cook it on the basis of skimmed or soy milk. It will turn out to be a delicious, healthy and harmless dessert.