Give your nerves a break from holiday stress – chocolate brings joy and promotes well-being

Christmas is the season to be merry – and to indulge. It is also the golden time for chocolate-lovers, and old-time chocolate favourites often bring back memories of childhood Christmases. But did you know that the nutrients and fibre in dark chocolate are also good for your blood vessels, gut and nervous system?

Chocolate's nutritious, healthy and even mystical features have fascinated people for centuries. Delicious chocolate helps you relax and makes you feel good, and dark chocolate also contains several nutrients that promote well-being – magnesium, cocoa flavanols and potassium are good for the nervous system and blood vessels and help reduce fatigue.

But it is less known that dark chocolate is also rich in fibre. Or that fibre is food for the intestinal flora, and the sufficient intake of fibre promotes the well-being of the gut. The connection between the gut and the brain is currently a hot topic in research. The intestinal flora contributes to the production of essential neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters accelerate or slow down brain activity - and they have a role in controlling emotions and affect memory and alertness.

So paying attention to getting enough fibre is worthwhile during, the busy holiday season – and here's good news for all chocolate-lovers: dark chocolate contains as much dietary fibre as rye bread*. And those with sensitive stomachs will be happy to hear that the fibre in dark chocolate is also suitable for FODMAP diet.

A well-balanced diet can contain a reasonable amount of chocolate – but how much is a reasonable?

Together with top nutrition experts, Fazer has studied** the benefits of dark chocolate among working-age and elderly people, and whether a sufficient amount of chocolate brings any negative health effects. In terms of cocoa flavanols, a sufficient amount means approximately one third of Fazer Pure Dark 70% Cocoa bar, i.e. approximately 30 g of 70% dark chocolate per day.

“Our studies observed that these kinds of daily doses did not have any negative effects on weight or blood lipid levels. This means you can eat a reasonable amount of chocolate as part of a healthy diet, without feeling guilty” says Marika Laaksonen, PhD in Food Sciences, from Fazer’s research and innovation unit Fazer Lab.

Did you know this about chocolate?

• Approximately 20% of cocoa mass is fibre. The exact amount of fibre depends on the growth conditions of the cocoa plants: Western African cocoa is slightly more fibre-rich than South American cocoa*.
• Chocolate's final fibre content varies from one chocolate to another: for example, Fazer 70% Pure Dark chocolate contains 12% dietary fibre, about as much as rye bread*.
• Dark chocolate contains plenty of healthy potassium, magnesium and cocoa flavanols. As part of a well-balanced and healthy diet, potassium promotes the normal functioning of the nervous system and maintaining a normal blood pressure, magnesium helps reduce tiredness and fatigue, and cocoa flavanols help to maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood circulation.
• To gain the health benefits of flavanols, you need 200 mg flavanols per day, which equals to 30 g of 70% Pure Dark chocolate.

*Salminen M., Kaakaon ja suklaan ravintokuitu. EKT Series, 1846. Helsinki: University of Helsinki, Department of Food and Nutrition, 2018.

**E.g. A study sponsored by Fazer, led by professor Mikael Fogelholm, Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, 2015.  22 people participated in the study. They replaced their daily snacks with an equivalent amount of dark chocolate (49 g Fazer 70% Dark chocolate).

The beneficial effects of chocolate are studied, for example, in the Fazer Brainhow program. Read more at: www.fazergroup.com/brainhow

Further information:

The Fazer media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 am to 4 pm,
tel. +358 40 668 2998, media@fazer.com

Pictures: http://www.fazergroup.com/pictures - Media_Press - Fazer Pure Dark

Liisa Eerola, Director, Confectionery Communications and Group Partnerships, tel. +358 44 710 8860

Fazer Group

Fazer is an International family-owned company offering quality bakery, confectionery, biscuit and grain products, plant-based meals, non-dairy products, on-the-go food & drinks as well as food and café services. Fazer’s mission is Food with a Purpose. The Group operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. Fazer’s success, ever since its establishment in 1891, has been based on the best product and service quality, beloved brands, the passion of its skilful people and the Group’s responsible ways of working. In 2017, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.6 billion euros and nearly 15,000 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.

Makes the world taste good