The scam that has led millions of people to believe that eating dark chocolate can help them lose weight is actually like this!

I believe many people have heard that eating dark chocolate can help you lose weight!

How many people who want to lose weight eat pure dark chocolate every day in order to make themselves slimmer, despite the bitter taste, hoping to lose weight by eating it. There are even many chocolate sellers who use this as a selling point to sell their chocolate products.

In fact, there is really no need to eat this "bitter" thing, because "eating dark chocolate can help you lose weight" is a scam in itself. There are two rumors about chocolate, one is that it can "lose weight" and the other is that it can "make you happy". Let's talk about them in this article.

1. Can eating dark chocolate help you lose weight?

No! You may even get fatter if you eat more...

In fact, the rumor that eating dark chocolate can help you lose weight is just a rumor. This research comes from a German doctor, Johannes Bohannon, who is not an expert in this field, but a doctor in bacterial molecular biology. A foreign article wrote about his review of the "eating dark chocolate to lose weight" thing.

▲Original English

▲Chinese translation

The study involved only five men and 11 women aged between 19 and 67, all of whom were paid. The sample size was small, the age gap and gender differences were large, and the experimental process was not rigorous, with dieting involved.

Later, the study was published directly by the International Archives of Medicine less than two weeks after the credit card was charged. Once the article was reported, it was published by multiple media outlets and spread. [1]

Even if we put aside this imprecise study, judging from the calories in chocolate alone, it is not conducive to weight loss.

The calories in chocolate are really high! For example, the 100% dark chocolate with no added sugar in the picture below has a calorie content of 2742 kilojoules per 100 grams, which is equivalent to about 655 kcal. Even if you only eat 50 grams, you will consume 328 kcal, which is equivalent to two bowls of rice.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

Therefore, eating dark chocolate not only fails to help you lose weight, but eating too much will actually make you fat!

2. Will you be happy after eating chocolate?

Yes

Chocolate gives people the impression of being "silky and indulgent" and "sweet and sweet". When you are in a bad mood, just take a bite of chocolate and you will immediately feel the "gloom" dissipated and you will feel inexplicably happy.

This may be related to the following two factors:

① Some chocolates contain added sugar, which makes them sweeter. For example, white chocolate and milk chocolate not only taste sweet, but also have a milky flavor. The culprit that makes you addicted to chocolate is not only the taste of cocoa, but also the "sugar". Sugar addiction is human nature. It will make the brain produce dopamine, and eating it will make you temporarily happy!

② Studies have shown that moderate consumption of chocolate can increase the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which may be effective in preventing dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease and improving depression. [2]

It seems that eating chocolate can really make people happy when they are feeling down!

Conclusion: Eating chocolate to lose weight is a big scam. Chocolate is high in calories and fat, and some chocolates contain added sugar. It is not reliable to expect to lose weight, and you may even get fatter the more you eat! But if you are in a bad mood, you can eat less to adjust your mood!

In addition, some chocolates are made with cocoa butter substitutes, which may contain trans fatty acids, which are not good for cardiovascular health. Be sure to read the ingredient list carefully when buying!

Discussion: Do you like chocolate?

References:

[1]https://gizmodo.com/i-fooled-millions-into-thinking-chocolate-helps-weight-1707251800

[2] Eating chocolate may help improve depression symptoms[J]. Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, 2015, 15(06):122.