Those who are familiar with this popular treat must have been known Hershey’s Chocolate, one of the most biggest, well-known companies in the world of chocolatier. Hershey’s produces so many variants of chocolate, the most acclaimed are its dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Chocolate lovers must be very familiar with its chocolate that tastes so good. But, besides the good taste, chocolate, especially Hershey’s Chocolate also has tremendous benefits.
Nutritional Value of Hershey’s Chocolate Bar
According to the nutritional value of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar per serving size of one bar (43g), it is revealed as follows:
The other substances contained in one bar of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar are Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Iron 2%, and Calcium 8%. You can find another nutritional values of many variants of Hershey’s. Not also that, there are many components and substances that can be found in every single cocoa products.
For chocolate lovers out there, there are some good news for you which explains the health benefits of Hershey’s Chocolate.
1. Chocolate and anandamite substance
Alien with the name of the substance? It’s a messenger molecule which plays role in memory, pain, appetite, etc. Known as bliss molecule, anandamite works similarly with THC (tetrahydrocannibol) that can be found in cannabis, working as an active component of it.
The substance signals the brain in the process, anandamite will be so that it will improve your mood and give you a blissful effects, causing euphoria similar to the usage of THC. Getting “mild” high without using cannabis, why not?
2. It can make you feel better
Phenyletylamine (PEA) is one of the components in chocolate, it is working by encouraging brain to release endorphins that can actually make you feel better, just like when you are falling in love.
3. Reduces the risk of diabetes
Down for dark chocolate? Now this may seem a bit illogical, but according to an archive of study from US National Library of Medicine, it is found out that the moderate amount of dark chocolate consumption can influence the resistance of insulin, therefore reducing the risk of diabetes. Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate fits you for this.
4. Improves cognitive function
Cocoa has been known as one of the source of flavanols that is really useful to improve our life in many cases. In this case, a research from University of L’Aquila in Italy has found that consuming chocolate in a long-term diet can improve your cognitive function, as well as decreasing the risk of dementia.
It will have a better effect on older adults as they will have a phase of cognitive decline. It also has an effect of improving memory. Dark chocolate with high concentration of flavonoids as well as caffeine and theobromine that work along with flavanols will help you with the improvement. Time to grab your chocolate!
5. Good for gluten-free diets
Not containing wheat, Hershey’s chocolates can provide a gluten-free snack for you who are in gluten-free diets or who are having gluten-related disorders such as wheat allergy, coeliac disease, gluten ataxia, etc. You don’t have to worry about gluten contamination because the products themselves are guaranteed, which means they are safe for you to crave.
6. Prevents fatigue
Magnesium contained in chocolate will help you to combat fatigue, as well as creating loads of energy. It can be found in dairy products, chocolate, and coffee, as well as vegetables. Magnesium has been known to be used as a treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It also helps to maintain the health of muscle and bones.
7. Eases your pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)
So close to feel the cramps? Consuming chocolate can be relieving for you who experience pre-menstrual syndrome. Again, it’s the wonder of magnesium that’s not only combating fatigue, but also needed to prevent magnesium deficiency, especially for women during period time who are more prone to it.
It also helps to ease the unpleasantness of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). When you experience low mood, premenstrual migraine, and even cramps, it’s the right time to munch the goodness.
8. Sugary treat for enhancing energy levels
It’s a common knowledge. Sugar can give you energy by consuming it in a form of, this case, chocolate. Insulin plays a good role so that sugar will be entering the cells in order to store more fuel or energy to be released when your body needs it. We indeed need the intake of sugar, of course, take it considerably and enough to fuel us for the rest of the day.
9. Helps to supply iron to prevent anemia
What’s more health benefits of Hershey’s Chocolate? Anemia happens when a person has low blood cells number. Iron is responsible to produce hemoglobin and also a transportation for oxygen to be carried throughout the body.
As it is written in our related article about health benefits of chocolate drink, chocolate can help you by supplying certain amounts of iron in order to fulfill the needs together with the intake of iron-containing foods or supplements (read: Health Benefits of Iron)
10. Sodium to keep your heart healthy
As it is mentioned in health benefits of sodium, the right amount of intake of sodium can actually keep your heart healthy, quite contrary to the fact that the high level of sodium intake can lead you to hypertension.
11. Proteins to run your metabolism
Hershey’s chocolate makes sure that it will give you protein to run your body metabolism. It is undeniable that protein plays a very big role in our body; muscles, tissues, even our hormones are formed by protein. The lack of protein can really make havoc in our body.
12. Supplies the calcium needs during pregnancy and for kids
As it can be read in our article about the benefits of calcium, it is very important for those who are in pregnancy, especially for fetus and its mother, since the fetus will take the stock of calcium from mother’s calcium storage e.g. bones, it is necessary to fill the need of calcium for the development of the fetus itself. Mother has to take nutrients sources as much as she can take since it is substantial for the baby.
Kids also need calcium for the developments of bones and teeth in order to prevent calcium deficiency and to fulfill the amount of calcium for the growth period and development of bones so that it will cut the possibility of having improper body structure.
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Cautions and recommended intake of taking Hershey’s Chocolate
Processed chocolate contains sugar in a huge amount, be it dark chocolate or milk, or any kind of chocolate. As it is shown in the nutrition facts of Hershey’s chocolate itself, it contains lots of sugar per one serving. In a short period of time, it will lead to energy crash.
It happens when you consume sugar too much that it can reduce the work of orexin cells which regulates wakefulness. The more you consume the sugar, it will affect your sleeping cycle by drawing you out from a deep sleep so that you’ll feel exhausted the next day.
Consuming lots of sugar can lead to diabetes, as well. Especially type 2 diabetes. Foods containing sugar and fat may contribute to the increasing of insulin sensitivity. So, it is very wise to consume small amount of chocolate chunk per day; Around 1-2 ounces per day as the experts suggest.
The darker the chocolate, the better, because the darker the concentration of cocoa, the more benefits you’ll get. But that doesn’t mean you can’t consume other variants such as milk chocolate or any other chocolates to get the health benefits of Hershey’s Chocolate.