Chocolate is best in the morning

A new study seems to make the dream many. From demonized food in diets and plans to lose weight, to join forces to be in good shape? This seems to suggest a new article posted on The FASEB Journal (the publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology), which found that the chocolate consumption in the morning or at night it can influence hunger, the composition of the microbiota, sleep; and even help burn fat and reduce blood glucose levels.

To know the effects of consuming milk chocolate at different times of the dayResearchers from the departments of medicine and neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital collaborated with researchers from the University of Murcia in Spain.

Thus, they carried out a “randomized, controlled, crossover trial in 19 postmenopausal women” who consumed 100 grams of chocolate in the morning (one hour after waking up) or at night (one hour before going to bed). They compared, among other things, weight gain to a diet that does not include chocolate consumption.

There they discovered not only that women they had not gained weight after eating chocolate for two weeks, but also reduced it when consumed in the morning, explains to Bugle Marta Garaulet, professor of physiology and physiological bases of nutrition at the physiology department of the University of Murcia in Spain, co-author of the article.

“A dreaded food for its high in sugar and fat, did not cause weight gain in women despite heavy consumption (100 grams) and for 14 consecutive days. Even women reduced waistline when you drink chocolate in the morning, “he explains.

Not just what, but when

One of the issues highlighted by researchers is that the time of day that certain foods are eaten is critical in assessing their impact on the body.

“Our results highlight that not only ‘what’ but also ‘when’ we eat can affect the physiological mechanisms involved in regulating body weight, ”says Frank Scheer, neuroscientist in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and co-author of the article.

In this sense, the article argues that eating chocolate during the morning hours could help burn fat and reduce blood glucose levels.

In addition to this, you will need to know more about it. “Ingesting a high enough amount of concentrated chocolate over a narrow window of time (one hour) in the morning may help burn body fat and lower fasting blood sugar in postmenopausal women, ”explains Garaulet.

Instead, “afternoon / evening chocolate can induce oxidation of carbohydrates. This had previously been observed in studies showing that chocolate milk before bed altered resting metabolism and exercise the next morning to promote carbohydrate oxidation. Therefore, the consumption of chocolate at this time can be considered for the morning after the performance during high intensity or prolonged exercise, and thus avoid the depletion of liver and muscle glycogen, “he explains.

In summary, chocolate consumption could make us eat less and expend more energy: “Our study shows a spontaneous decrease in intake, appetite for sweets and changes in physical activity and energy. energy dissipation through the skin, as well as changes in the microbiota or in sleep and nap, all geared towards higher energy expenditure or lower intake, ”explains Garaulet.

Regarding the effects on rest, he adds: “It is to be expected that a large amount of energy in the morning, which occurs when you take chocolate in the morning, promotes the urge to take a nap. at the same time, can synchronize our sleep “.

What types of chocolate are we talking about?

“Our study was carried out with milk chocolate, because it is the most consumed in the general population, but other randomized and crossover studies also show that the dark chocolate rich in polyphenols it also does not produce an increase in body weight at different doses and at different study periods (from a few weeks to several months. “

On the other hand, although the study was carried out in postmenopausal women, “because it is a period in the life of women when there is a greater tendency to gain weight” and because “during menopause, there is a shift in the distribution of body fat towards an increase in waist circumference, which is associated with a higher metabolic risk, “Garaulet believes he may become extensive.

“Because the effects found are associated with food intake, energy expenditure, microbiota and sleep, factors that are not specific to menopauseWe understand that these changes could occur in women of other ages and in men, but more studies are needed, ”he concludes.