- An alkaloid called theobromine, found in cocoa, has potential health benefits.
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Good news for those who binge on Easter eggs: chocolate can help you lose weight.
It could also boost your brain and protect you from age-related cognitive decline.
Scientists say a chemical called theobromine, found in cocoa beans and abundant in milk and dark chocolate, has a variety of potential health benefits.
They believe it is an underrated natural elixir with anti-inflammatory properties that could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
While the calories in an Easter egg probably outweigh any slimming benefits, theobromine has been found to contribute to weight management by improving the body’s ability to break down fat.
Good news for those who have feasted on Easter eggs is that chocolate could help you lose weight and protect your brain from cognitive decline.
Researchers at Zhengzhou University in China said it also has protective effects on the kidneys, potentially preventing kidney stone formation and reducing fluid retention in tissues.
After snacking on some chocolate, theobromine, a bitter-tasting alkaloid, spreads rapidly throughout the body.
It can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and act as an adenosine receptor antagonist, potentially improving mood and improving cognitive function.
With antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it may also protect against dementia and other neurological conditions.
The study, published in the Journal of Functional Foods, even suggests it could be used to treat brain diseases such as stroke, depression and Alzheimer’s.
Scientists say a bitter-tasting alkaloid called theobromine, found in cocoa beans and abundant in milk and dark chocolate, has a variety of potential health benefits.
The researchers wrote: ‘Theobromine exhibits neuroprotective attributes, improves cognitive function, and shows promise in mitigating cognitive decline and age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
‘In daily life, theobromine can be used as a health supplement to help regulate immune function, promote fat metabolism, and maintain cardiovascular health.
“It can also be used for the development of drugs or formulations for the treatment of obesity due to its anti-obesity effects.”
Theobromine could be combined with other drugs to form a powerful treatment against a variety of diseases, the researchers added.