Researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in collaboration with those from the University of Murcia in Spain, have found that eating chocolate for breakfast can lead to burning more fat and lowering blood sugar levels during the day.
In the study of 19g, postmenopausal women ate 100g of chocolate within an hour of waking up each morning. Others also consumed the same amount of chocolate an hour before bed. Researchers then compared their weight and other measures of health to other people who were not eating chocolate. The results showed that eating chocolate did not lead to weight gain.
Although the women were allowed to eat freely, apart from having a specific amount of chocolate each day, they spontaneously reduced their calorie intake to balance their chocolate calories. The women who ate chocolate in the morning reduced their intake by 300kcal/day, while those who ate it before bed reduced their intake by 150kcal.day. This amount was in comparison to the 542kcal/day they got from eating chocolate.
The researchers also found that eating chocolate at these times influenced gut microbiome balance, sleep quality and appetite.
Eating chocolate in the morning led to increased fat burning and low blood sugar, while eating it at night led to changes in exercise metabolism the next morning.
According to study author and neuroscientist Frank A.J.L Scheer, it is not only what we eat but also when we eat that can affect the physiological mechanisms that regulate body weight. Co-author Marta Garaulet, PhD, adds that the participants did not add weight even though they increased their calorie intake. Chocolate lowered ad libitum energy intake. There was a reduction in hunger, desire to eat sweets and a reduced appetite.
Mary-Jon Ludy, Chair of the Department of Public and Allied Health, says it’s still too early to recommend eating chocolate as a weight-loss measure because they only studied a small number of women over a short period. She also adds that the women consumed about one-third of their recommended caloric intake from a single high-fat food. For this reason, more research is needed on the subject.