Chocolate. The Good, The Bad, The Chiropractic.

Dr Bridget

Interests: Mum's and Kid's Health, Headaches

The Good
Chocolate is actually good for you.

• The flavonoids in dark chocolate have been shown to help to lower your blood pressure.8
• Eating chocolate can also lower our stress hormones (cortisol) and can cause our brain to release feel good endorphins and oxytocin, the love hormone.

• The theobromine and phenylethylamine in cocoa can affect serotonin levels which can help with low mood/depression.2
• Chocolate can make us feel good by calming our cravings and releasing relaxing hormones.
• And when we are talking raw cacao, it has more than 20 times more antioxidant than blueberries and is also a good source of protein, calcium, carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, sulfur, flavonoids and essential fatty acids 9.

The Bad
But it can be not so good for you too.

• The combination of fat and sugar found in chocolate is one of the most addictive flavours known to humans.1 It triggers the reward pathways in the brain and can make us feel calmer by lowering our stress responses, which is why it’s easy to over indulge.
• Having a diet with ‘high fat and refined sugar,’ like that found in chocolate, has been shown to decrease the amount of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus in the brain, which can have a negative effect on learning and memory.5
• Chocolate should also be avoided by those prone to headaches and migraines, as it can trigger an episode.2

So is it possible to have these same positive effects, without the fat and sugar (and brain deterioration!), potential for addiction and subsequent weight gain?

And the Chiropractic
Yes it is! And it is as easy as going to see your chiropractor.
Just like chocolate:

• Studies have shown that a chiropractic adjustment can also increase oxytocin, as well as decrease the stress response in the body.3,5
• Chiropractic adjustments can also decrease frequency and severity of migraines, as well as lowering blood pressure.5,7
• Chiropractic can increase brain function by an average of 20%, especially in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher level thinking and decision making.4
  
  

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-you-become-addicted-to-chocolate-201302145903
   
2. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-eating/a10855/chocolate-guide/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24450367
4. https://spinalresearch.com.au/research-beyond-doubt-adjusting-subluxated-spine-changes-brain-function/
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452202001239
6. http://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(00)90073-3/abstract
7. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/3075649
8. https://www.aarp.org/health/medical-research/info-03-2011/dark-chocolate-can-help-lower-your-blood-pressure.html
9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14640573?dopt=Citation,