After a particular age, keeping ourselves in good health appears to be a bit harder. From rising blood sugar levels to a more-pronounced muffin top, sometimes it feels very doom and gloom. But a new study has some good news for post-menopausal women: Eating chocolate will let you burn off fat minimizing blood sugar. And no, not one square of chocolates as if you normally read about, we’re talking a real bar of creamy milk chocolate – if it’s eaten in the right time.
Chocolate Benefits for Post-Menopausal Women
According towards the study, published in The FASEB Journal, eating a bar of milk chocolate during a small window of your time each morning could help decrease blood sugar and increase fat burn for postmenopausal women.
Yes, that is correct. Your favorite indulgence may actually help you get healthier – as long as you eat it at the right time. For that randomized controlled trial, 19 postmenopausal women were inspired to eat 100 grams of milk chocolate (that’s equivalent to a large treat containing about 540 calories!) every single day for two weeks either in the morning, within one hour of waking, or during the night, after just one hour of sleeping. The researchers measured and recorded their weight, microbiota composition (a measure of gut health), sleep quality, glucose levels, along with other metabolic indicators before the trial, and on the first, eighth, and last day.
Results of the trial indicated that the women who ate chocolate each morning actually had reduced excess fat and glucose levels when compared with baseline, prior to the women began eating the chocolate! People who ate chocolate at night experienced elevations in blood sugar and body fat, though interestingly, neither group gained weight. Additionally they found that cortisol levels (that’s the strain hormone) were reduced in the women who ate chocolate each morning, while both groups experienced less hunger and cravings for sweets. No major differences were found in sleep quality for either group, but both had increased numbers of gut microbiota.
“Our findings highlight that does not only ‘what’ but additionally ‘when’ we eat can impact physiological mechanisms involved in the regulating bodyweight,” said Frank A. J. L. Scheer, Ph.D., MSc, neuroscientist and co-author of the study. So before you forego your favorite sweet treat in an attempt to be in better health, keep in mind that it’s all about timing it in your first hour of waking up.
We always tout the benefits of chocolates to improve your health, but we’re thrilled to talk about that when you are looking at eating creamy milk chocolate, it’s not all not so good news after all. In fact, eating some in the morning might just be the key to better all around health along with a healthier weight. Chocolate lovers, rejoice!
