Chocolate: Friend or Foe?

[ALilGirlOnce]

Have you been eating a certain type of chocolate? Dark chocolate is much healthier (contains more phenols) for the body than milk chocolate, which has lots of sugar/cream/butter in it. I doubt it's the chocolate making you break out though. I've never heard of anyone having breakouts by chocolate. Unless there's some ingredients in it that's really fatty or you're allergic to.

 

[farris2]

No breakouts,but it does make my clothes smaller...lol

 

[emily_3383]

friend! I dont breakout from chocolate. I breakout from stress really.

Originally Posted by farris2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif No breakouts,but it does make my clothes smaller...lol lol yeah i agree.

 

[Kemper]

Ugh, I can't stand it when people directly blame individual things for breakouts.

A breakout is caused by any number of things: a mixture of your endocrine, digestive, circulatory, lymphatic and immune systems, and many more are involved, as [shock horror], everything in your body is actually RELATED. Things interconnect. You can't blame chocolate for your breakout individually, as anything you put into your body can impact upon your complexion, and everything else [these other things can also impact upon your complexion, directly and indirectly]. Its about your blood, how your body deals with and disposes of hormones and toxins, hormone activity, your immune system, your health, your diet as a whole, how much overspill of toxins there is from your blood into your sweat, your level of sensitivity and amount of exposure you have to pollutants, allergens, irritants and sun exposure, your skincare routine, your exercise routine, your temperature, stress levels, hereditary factors... you can't blame any little thing for breakouts, as people react to different foods, products and changes in different ways. Chocolate has both its benefits and its disadvantages.

 

[princess_20]

Friend

 

[Kemper]

Originally Posted by Delphine /img/forum/go_quote.gif dermatologist told my it's a myth and acne has nothing to do with that you eat. This said, I think that eating a lot of fruit and vegetable can make your skin looks healthier. Are you sure your Dermatologist clearly told you that eating habits were irrelevant? Because that's completely incorrect. Eating has plenty to do with your skin: irritation, acne, rosacea and the skin aging are all impacted upon by eating habits.

 

[angellove]

hm... i heard that chocolate doesn;t cause breakouts

 

[SimplyElegant]

No I've never broken out from chocolate.

 

[yumemiru]

Dark chocolate is definately a friend. Chocolate before workout actually helps burn colaries. A bit of chocolate is good for the body and soul!

 

[Kathy]

Well...I must have a mild allergy then because when I was younger it used to make me break out. Not so much anymore though.

 

[chameleonmary]

this is my situation in a nutshell:

stress = pimples

chocolate = less stress, more happiness

therefore...

chocolate = less pimples!

or so it is my situation... most of the time!

 

[MissViolet]

Acne can come about from heredity, hormonal changes, bacteria or a reaction to the environment.  It may be that not the chocolate, but some of the ingredients play a role, like caffeine, theobromine and milk.  If your lactose intolerant, milk would be the culprate.  The Theobromine may cause a hormonal change, and the caffeine being an indirect link, you crave caffeine when stressed, which releases androgen hormones, leaving to an overproduction of skin cells... leading to clogged pores.

I say, what the heck, eat the chocolate, get the pure stuff, it doesn't have the milk and it has more antioxidants!

 

[Emily Kristina]

Chocolate comes from the seeds of a cocoa tree. In its natural form it is bitter, so long ago the Europeans learned how to make it delicious by adulterating it with fat and sugar. Chocolate also has other active ingredients- cannabinoid-like fatty acids, methylxanthines, biogenic amines, caffeine and theobromine, which can render it addictive. Dark chocolate is 20% monounsaturated (oleic acid) and 80% saturated (stearic) fatty acids. Although saturated acids are generally considered unhealthy, stearic acid, in particular, is not felt to cause a cholesterol elevation. Polyphenolic antioxidant potency is higher than most other food sources, which is a good thing. Dark chocolate is also rich in arginine which can have a vasodilatory effect, helping to decrease the blood pressure.

A number of studies support its health benefits. Consumption of chocolate reduced recovery of free radicals in stool, consistent with its anti-oxidant effect. Several studies documented that consumption of chocolate lowered blood pressure, reduced strokes and increased insulin sensitivity in healthy adults. Chocolate can inhibit platelet aggregation and raise your HDLs which are associated with decreased strokes and heart attacks. Armed with my research, I was convinced -- chocolate is your friend! I now have a row of dark chocolate a day.