Eating Cocoa Improves Your Vision In Just Two Hours
One of the things you can do to improve your visual acuity is to drink some dark chocolate at least twice a week.
The latest discovery of the properties of cocoa is very surprising: according to a study by the San Antonio School of Optometry in Texas (United States), an adequate dose of cocoa is capable of improving visual acuity in just two hours.
Many studies have described the health benefits of cocoa. One of the most important investigations, a meta-analysis that gathered more than 500,000 participants, carried out by researchers from the University of Wuhan (China) and published in the journal Nutrients , determined that people who regularly consume cocoa (2-3 servings of 30 g chocolate with more than 70% cocoa) have a below average risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
In another study, conducted by researchers at the University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom) with more than 2,000 participants, found that people who drink cocoa twice a week have less arterial plaque than those who do not consume it.
The polyphenols of cocoa explain the beneficial effects on the eyes
Many other scientific works confirm that cardiovascular health is the main beneficiary of cocoa. But San Antonio ophthalmologists thought that what was good for the heart should also be good for the eyes.
These researchers created a study to analyze whether chocolate was beneficial for the eyes and proved that within 2 hours of taking 47 grams of chocolate with 72% cocoa they improved all aspects of visual perception.
Both the effects on the cardiovascular system and on the eyes are due to the properties of cocoa polyphenols, which deflate tissues, relax muscles and improve blood flow.
Oxygenates and nourishes cells
According to the Texan researchers, they also improve the availability of oxygen and nutrients in the cells of the brain, the eyes and the retina in particular. They also improve blood sugar metabolism and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
Remember that the studies do not speak of any type of chocolate, but of pure cocoa or the chocolate that contains it in a minimum proportion of 70%. Milk chocolate contains only 10% polyphenols and its positive effect is minimal, if at all.
Every day you can have two squares of chocolate, the darker the better. Nibble slowly to improve absorption.
