The dark chocolate version of Father Christmas is most filling -
10.12.2008
New
research at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE), University of
Copenhagen shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk
chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. In
other
words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down over Christmas.
We
have known for a long time that it is healthier to eat dark chocolate,
but now scientists at the Department of Human Nutrition at LIFE,
University of Copenhagen, have found that dark chocolate also gives
more of a feeling of satiety than milk chocolate.
Chocolate experiment
To
compare the effects of dark and milk chocolate on both appetite and
subsequent calorie intake, 16 young and healthy men of normal weight
who all liked both dark and milk chocolate took part in a so-called
crossover experiment. This meant that they reported for two separate
sessions, the first time testing the dark chocolate, and the second
time the milk chocolate.
They had all fasted for 12 hours
beforehand and were offered 100g of chocolate, which they consumed in
the course of 15 minutes. The calorific content was virtually the same
for the milk and dark chocolate.
During the following 5 hours,
participants were asked to register their appetite every half hour,
i.e. their hunger, satiety, craving for special foods and how they
liked the chocolate.
Results
Two and a half hours after eating the chocolate, participants were offered pizza ad lib.
They
were instructed to eat until they felt comfortably satiated. After the
meal, the individuals’ calorie intake was registered.
The
results were significant. The calorie intake at the subsequent meal
where they could eat as much pizza as they liked was 15 per cent lower
when they had eaten dark chocolate beforehand.
The participants also stated that the plain chocolate made them feel less like eating sweet, salty or fatty foods.
So
apart from providing us with the healthier fatty acids and many
antioxidants, dark chocolate can now also help us steer clear of all
the sweet, salty and fattening Christmas foods.
For
more information please contact Research Assistant Lone Brinkmann
Sørensen, Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences
(LIFE), University of Copenhagen by mail
[email protected] or tel. +45 353 32509.
