What Really Happens to Your Body When You Eat Chocolate Every Day

巧克力的想法会给你带来微笑吗？是的，我们也是。

Many of us love it so much, we'd eat it every day if we could. Heck, some of us already do. But what really happens to our bodies if we take a big bite out of a chocolate bar on a daily basis?

这里，Maxine Yeung，RD，CPT，注册的营养师和健康的创始人都分享了每天吃巧克力的所有影响 - 既积极又负面。

Your daily chocolate bar might be the perfect pick-me-up when you're feeling pooped. You can thank the caffeine for that, Yeung says. Milk and dark chocolate both contain the stimulant. "Typically, the darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it has per serving," she says.

"Plus, chocolate is a good source of carbohydrates, which is your body's first source of fuel," Yeung says. And fundamental fuel gives you that get-up-and-go energy.

Yeung说，虽然有些人可以从零食上享受巧克力正方形，但有些人对咖啡因敏感，有些人可能会有些紧张。即使是一小剂量的咖啡因也会引起不安和睡眠问题咖啡因敏感性，根据梅奥诊所。

杨说，对于大多数成年人来说，每天有400毫克咖啡因被认为是安全的。“以供参考，黑巧克力与8盎司的黑咖啡相比，每盎司的咖啡因高达12至25毫克，通常有大约95毫克。”

Munching on chocolate may be marvelous for your心脏健康。确实，可可中发现的称为类黄酮的强大植物化合物可能有助于减少LDL（又称“不良”）胆固醇，改善血液流动并降低胰岛素抵抗（与心脏病和2型糖尿病有关）哈佛健康出版。

What's more, "some studies show that moderate amounts of chocolate may lower blood pressure, risk of stroke and lipid panels," Yeung says.

例子：2019年1月的荟萃分析心concluded that eating no more than 3.5 ounces of chocolate per week (that's around three squares) may be related to a reduced risk for heart disease.

但是研究人员还指出，食用更高量的甜食可能会抵消健康益处，并因糖摄入量增加而造成负面影响。

The takeaway: For a healthy ticker, eating chocolate in moderation is key. And the variety of chocolate you choose is vital too. "Dark chocolate tends to have less sugar and fat than milk and white chocolates," Yeung says. Plus, it's a solid source of flavonols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, she adds.

Your chocolate bar may also boast some对您的大脑有好处。Yeung说：“一些研究表明，巧克力中的黄酮可能与改善记忆力和更好的反应时间有关。”

In fact, a small November 2019 study in营养每天有24克（约1盎司或1平方）的黑巧克力链接一个月，具有增强的认知功能和表现。这些积极的影响持续了三周，参与者每天停止吃巧克力。

根据哈佛健康出版社的报道，这种脑保护特性可能部分是由于类黄酮促进与记忆和思维相关的大脑部分血液流动的能力。

尽管如此，许多研究表明，认知表现明显改善的许多研究通常涉及大量的类黄酮摄入量 - 每天超过400毫克或相当于八块黑巧克力 - 根据哈佛健康出版物。

在诱人的同时，将八个巧克力棒（以所有额外的脂肪，卡路里和糖）推倒，从长远来看不会有助于您的健康。取而代之的是，根据哈佛健康出版社的报道，您可以考虑将所有与大脑相关的好处浓缩的可可补充剂（可能含有多达250毫克的类黄酮）。

仍然零食吗？（也是我们。）坚持黑巧克力 - 70％至85％的可可含量或更多 - 类黄酮的数量最高克利夫兰诊所。

尽管可可类黄酮可能与下胆固醇有关，但某些巧克力（尤其是在多余食用时）可能会导致LDL胆固醇水平升高。

Yeung说，巧克力，尤其是牛奶巧克力和白巧克力品种，含有可可黄油（可可豆的天然脂肪）的饱和脂肪。根据克利夫兰诊所的说法，例如，白巧克力包括至少20％的可可黄油（最多55％）。

问题是，饱和脂肪的摄入与LDL胆固醇的升高有关。

她说，虽然一些可可黄油的饱和脂肪来自硬脂酸，但似乎并没有产生不良的胆固醇，但以有限的含量食用牛奶巧克力和白巧克力仍然是一个明智的主意。

“像任何食物一样，巧克力也有卡路里。当吃多余的卡路里时，可能会导致体重增加，Yeung说。

When it comes to putting on pounds, what makes chocolate particularly problematic is the sugar content. Foods that cause surges in blood sugar and insulin (like sugary chocolate varieties) can lead to hunger cravings and overeating, according to the哈佛T. H. Chan公共卫生学院。随着时间的流逝，这种模式会增加体重增加的风险，以及糖尿病和心脏病的风险。

但同样，节制是游戏的名称。Yeung说：“每天吃一点巧克力以及整体平衡和多样化的饮食不一定会导致体重增加。”如果您在黑巧克力上用餐，糖和脂肪少于牛奶和白巧克力，尤其如此。

Notice any negative gastrointestinal effects when you nosh on chocolate?

"Depending on the type of chocolate, it might contain more milk products and added sugars," Yeung says. And this can spell stomach trouble — causing GI腹泻等问题，，，，bloat, stomach pain and gas — especially if you have乳糖不耐症她说，，IBS或糖敏感性。

Yeung补充说：“此外，如果您吃了很多巧克力并且对咖啡因敏感，那么咖啡因也可能会触发松散的凳子。”那是因为咖啡因刺激胃肠道的收缩并触发胃酸的产生。克利夫兰诊所。

杨说：“多项研究表明，吃巧克力可以帮助改善情绪并减轻压力。”

一项这样的研究，2013年10月的系统评论营养Reviews，，，，observed that the sweet snack could enhance one's mood and even help reverse a funky mood. But the researchers noted that the connection between chocolate and mood is still unclear. In other words, there's not enough evidence to know whether the uplifting effects simply relate to the pleasurable sensory experience of eating chocolate or its particular pharmacological attributes.

同样，2022年1月的另一项研究营养生化杂志表明黑巧克力也可以帮助消极的心情。但是在这种情况下，作者得出的结论是，黑巧克力的益生元特性增强了肠道细菌的多样性和丰度，可能会影响肠脑轴，并负责潜在的基于情绪的益处。

但请记住：“添加糖的饮食量很高，与抑郁症和焦虑有关，” Yeung说。她补充说，这意味着您可能需要倾向于低糖黑巧克力选择。

Yeung说：“如果您容易肾结石，您可能需要每天避免吃巧克力。”那是因为巧克力含量很高她说，在许多食物中发现了一种天然物质。

Kidney stones take shape when there's a high concentration of certain chemicals, such as oxalates, in your urine, according to哈佛健康出版。发生这种情况时，可以形成晶体，这些晶体可以发展成穿过尿路的结石。但是，如果一块石头被放置并限制了尿液的流动，则可能导致很多痛苦。

虽然您不需要完全切出巧克力，但如果您容易到石头，将其限制在特殊场合可能是一个安全的想法。

信不信由你，您心爱的巧克力棒可能是您头痛的源头。是的，“巧克力是偏头痛的常见触发因素，”杨说。

Here's why: Chocolate contains caffeine and beta-phenylethylamine. Both stimulants can "affect the way the nervous system works and cause blood vessels to narrow, ultimately leading to a migraine," Yeung says.

她补充说：“此外，许多巧克力含有大量糖，这会导致血糖和激素波动也会影响血管。”

话虽这么说，陪审团仍在谈论巧克力是否引发头痛。为了说明这一点，请在2020年3月的评论中进行营养：在评估了25项有关该主题的研究之后，，，，the authors concluded there was no definitive connection between chocolate and migraines.

In addition, some research even shows that chocolate might work as a preventive for headaches in certain people, Yeung says.

所有这么说，需要更多的研究来确定您的巧克力棒是否会产生痛苦的头痛。

So what's a chocolate lover to do? The best strategy is to heed your body: If chocolate appears to be one of your migraine triggers, avoid it, Yeung says.

您的巧克力习惯可能会阻碍您的皮肤。那是因为高糖食品（例如牛奶和白巧克力）会加重痤疮。

Here's how: Sugar-rich foods cause spikes in blood sugar, which can initiate an inflammatory response and increase the production of sebum (i.e., oil), according to the美国皮肤科协会（AAD）。

But even low-sugar varieties like dark chocolate may sabotage your skin. That's what a small May 2016 study in the国际皮肤病学杂志found. Twenty-five acne-prone people ate 25 grams (about 1 ounce) of 99 percent dark chocolate every day for a month. After four weeks, researchers noted a statistically significant uptick in the number of comedones (whiteheads or blackheads) and inflammatory papules (pimples).

但是，糖不是巧克力中唯一可能加剧质量变化的糖分。牛奶，这可能是某些巧克力的主要成分，例如牛奶根据AAD，巧克力也与痤疮爆发有关。