If you love chocolate, as many people do, this may just break your heart.
However, perhaps all is not lost.
These benefits are thought to come from flavanol compounds within cocoa.
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Recent research suggests that cocoa may serve as a prebiotica food that encourages ahealthy balance of gut bacteria.
Once there they interact with bacteria in your gut.
The authors note that most of the more common types of prebiotics, e.g.
the fructooligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides, do not typically increase levels of lactobacillus microbes.
How Much Chocolate Should You Eat?
Here is what they found:
Note: Carob is considered high-FODMAPs due to its fructan content.
Will Chocolate Cause You to Gain Weight?
Here is a possible silver lining to your IBS.
The darker the chocolate, the higher the percentage of cocoa in the product.
You may need to gradually increase cocoa levels.
Believe it or not, this is a good thing!
It is harder to eat too much of something that is slightly bitter.
So, yes you’re able to have your chocolate and feel good about it, too.
Another healthy way to consume chocolate is to addraw cacaotosmoothies.
Raw cacao can make your smoothies taste decadent and delicious.
Limit your serving to the two to four heaping teaspoons recommended by the Monash researchers, and enjoy.
2018;10(5):e2660.
doi:10.7759/cureus.2660
American Heart Association.Are there health benefits from chocolate?February 12, 2019
