While chocolate is a delicious indulgence, consuming an excessive amount of the sweet or bitter treat may be more harmful than you realize. The alleged health benefits of cocoa are widely publicized, but what about the risks?
According to health experts, chocolate is high in sugar and saturated fat – two ingredients that, when consumed in large quantities, can be extremely harmful.
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Consuming an excessive amount of sugar can result in weight gain, obesity, and tooth decay. Consuming an excessive amount of sugar can significantly increase your risk of developing heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, too much-saturated fat in your diet can raise your blood’s “bad” low-density lipoprotein level, increasing your risk of stroke.
Men should consume no more than 30g saturated fat per day, while women should consume no more than 20g; children should consume even less.
Before consuming a bar of chocolate (large or small), check the nutrition label to determine the amount of fat contained.
A single chocolate bar contains approximately 250kcal (which is often gobbled down in a few minutes).
This is 10% of a man’s recommended daily intake and 12% of a woman’s recommended daily intake.
According to Medical News Today, chocolate consumption has been “long associated with hypertension” – that is, high blood pressure.
Chocolate is typically high in calories, which is why it can easily contribute to weight gain.
According to experts, an ounce or two per day is more than enough – this equates to approximately 56g.
Given that a large bar of chocolate weighs approximately 200g, this means that you should consume no more than one-quarter of the bar in a 24-hour period.
If you consume more calories than you burn in a day, you will gain weight.
The only way to compensate for your caloric intake is to increase your physical activity.
Men require 2,500 calories per day to maintain their weight, while women require 2,000 calories per day to maintain their weight.
To avoid obesity – and the associated health risks – you must maintain a “healthy weight.”
The Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator can help you determine whether you should lose, gain, or maintain weight.
Another effective method of determining whether you could benefit from calorie restriction and increased exercise is to measure your waistline.
To be considered healthy, a man’s waist circumference should be 94cm (37 inches) or less.
For women, a healthy weight is defined as 80cm (31.5 inches) or less around the waist.
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