Too Tasty to be True?

Halloween is over, which generally means one of two things when it comes to kids—either they’re asking why their hard-earned treats are kept under lock and key with a firm “two treats a day” rule, or else there is a sudden explosion of brightly coloured wrappers decorating bedroom floors.

Either way, you’ll be pleased to know that that Dairy Milk bar may not actually deserve its bad reputation. A new study has found that there’s actually an inverse relationship between chocolate consumption and fat levels in kids.

Three cheers for chocolate!

We’ve heard about chocolate’s amazing powers when it comes to heart health, skin health, and even our eyesight, so is it really a surprise to find out that it’s good in other ways, too?

The University of Granada study—which involved 1,458 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17— suggests that the relationship between a child’s fat levels and the amount of chocolate that a child eats isn’t quite what you think it might be.  As a matter of fact, researchers found that higher levels of chocolate consumption actually correlated to lower overall fat levels, no matter what they ate or how much they exercised.

It’s all in the flavonoids

While researchers aren’t entirely certain why this inverse relationship happens, the theory that’s floating around claims that a flavonoid known as catechin is the reason for this happy find. Catechin—also found in red wine, blackberries, and strawberries—has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and help to manage cortisol.

In the end, though, not all chocolate is equal, since dark chocolates with a higher percentage of cocoa also have a higher amount of flavonoids. Having the kids choose a chocolate-y treat that contains at least 60 percent cocoa is the best option.