Eat some chocolate and wake up with a face full of pimples? A diet of chocolate is good for your heart? Avoid chocolate if you suffer from migraines?
How many of these chocolate myths have you heard? You could probably write a book on ’em. As with just about any food except the golden few that are placed on an untouchable pillar of good-for-you sanctity (I’m looking at you bananas—wait, now even the yellowy potassium-laden props used in the overdone comic fall are too high in natural sugars and carbs?), some days chocolate is "good" for you and some days it’s "bad." (It depends on whether it’s a slow news day and what the last chocolate news story was. The new one just has to prove the opposite.) How do you sort through the "good" and the "bad" news and determine what’s fact and what’s fiction? We’ve got a handy guide right here to get you started!
Eating chocolate causes acne.
Who hasn’t dealt with acne? (Don’t answer that; if you said "I haven’t," you’ve got skin the rest of us would walk across hot coals for.) Unfortunately, after years of social embarrassment in our teens, the problem didn’t completely fade away as we entered adulthood, either. So is our love of chocolate the reason why those hideous bumps and red marks are sticking around?
Acne is the result of inflamed sebaceous (oil-producing) glands at the root of our hair follicles (which appear everywhere on your body except the soles of your feet and the palms of your hand, even if you don’t see any hair there and it’s not because you waxed). The area fails to shed skin cells properly and the cells begin to block a pore, causing the gland to become inflamed. Bacteria usually found in hair follicles multiply and clog the pore, causing the gross red bumps to appear.
And what does chocolate have to do with this process? Well, nothing, if modern science is correct. It used to be widely believed that diet played a large role in a person’s chance of developing acne, but now hormones, genetics, excess sweating, and oily cosmetics are figured to be the main causes of a person’s chances of getting struck with acne problems. Why was chocolate ever blamed? Chocolate and a number of greasy foods were once thought to produce higher levels of oil in the skin. This myth has since been busted.
Verdict: Fiction
Eating chocolate is good for your heart.
Why on earth would "candy" be good for you? Haven’t doctors told us for decades to eat sweets in moderation—maybe even avoid them altogether? Is the idea that chocolate can be good for you just a conspiracy of the chocolate industry?
No, it’s the scientific truth! (Albeit often from scientific studies sponsored by those in the chocolate industry.) Dark chocolate contains flavanoids, which have been proven to increase circulation and help regulate blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Dark chocolate also contains antioxidants, which can also help lower blood pressure and might improve insulin resistance. Of course, too much chocolate can be bad for you. The key is to eat in moderation!
Verdict: Fact
Chocolate causes or exacerbates migraines.
The caffeine in chocolate, like the caffeine in any food, may cause mild headaches in some people because it could constrict blood vessels. However, the caffeine level in an average chocolate bar is much lower than most people think (another myth busted!)—as much as eighteen times less the amount of caffeine that’s in a cup of coffee!
However, when it comes to migraines, the majority of studies say that chocolate—or any food—is probably not the one and only cause of a migraine attack. It may likely have no effect at all. The amines in food such as chocolate were once thought to trigger an attack, but the fact is, stress is the number one cause of migraines. A person who suffers form migraines might have chocolate one day and not be affected but be incapacitated with pain for hours on another day after a cocoa treat. The best way for migraine suffers to reduce their chances of an attack is to manage their stress, eat a balanced diet (and don’t skip meals), and stay active.
Verdict: Fiction
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac.
While there’s no question that ladies in particular seem to get turned on by their velvety cocoa treat (there are studies that as many as 40-70% of women prefer chocolate to sex!), is there a scientific basis for the fact that chocolate seems to the romantic treat of choice?
Not really. Well, maybe. Chocolate can make your day brighter. The serotonin and phenethylamine found in chocolate are two of the same substances released by your body into your brain when you’re feeling happy. These substances can cause a more rapid heart beat and a huge energy boost, so you certainly will feel like you’re on top of the world. The serotonin and phenethylamine in chocolate aren’t quite enough to make a huge impact on your mood, but it can mimic the feelings you get when you’re feeling a bit amorous. Still, snacking on chocolate isn’t going to arouse you—unless you’re watching a hunk take his shirt off on TV at the same time.
Verdict: Fiction (with a little bit of Fact to it)
So next time you hear a friend repeating one of the old wives’ tales about chocolates, let it fly in one ear and out the other. All food can be "good" or "bad" for you; the key is to eat every food in moderation. Eat an overall balanced diet, exercise regularly, and you can treat yourself to a little bit of chocolate everyday, knowing that you’re not going to get pimples, suffer a headache, or become lecherous because of it!
