In our office, we have a snack corner filled with treats to keep us going (check out our Tiktok!) In it, we tried out this mystical treat known as dark chocolate-covered espresso beans. And let us tell you, it had us hooked! As we stuffed our faces, a thought came into our brain, “how much caffeine is in these magical beans?”, so we ran to the computer and were in complete shock at how much caffeine was in each yummy bean! We were consuming 4 mg of caffeine per bean! We could have run a mile with that amount of caffeine! These little beans were super addictive, we ate them like regular candies! This got us thinking if this was a good choice, health-wise.
So today, we are going to find that out together! Is dark chocolate and espresso beans healthy to eat?
We will start with the one we’re most excited about…dark chocolate, aka Cocoa! This sweet sensation is loved by many, 34% of Americans to be exact! But what makes dark chocolate healthy? Research has shown that dark chocolate may lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, etc! We knew we could count on it to make us feel better! But, because this is the real world and not Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, there are health risks…
When it comes to anything we consume, quantities matter! Dark chocolate is high in calories (150 – 170 calories), plus, it has a good amount of saturated fat! If you don’t know, saturated fat can produce problems with cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease! But don’t let this discourage you from enjoying chocolate! As stated before, the amount of chocolate you eat is what matters! Health physicians recommend getting around 1 to 2 ounces (30-60g) per day!
Next, espresso beans! These little beans of heaven may be beneficial to some! Some studies have shown that coffee beans may potentially lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, liver illnesses, type 2 diabetes, and brain disorders!
But, when consuming a heavy amount of caffeine, fun little things like heartburn, insomnia, diarrhea, and anxiety (we can go on!) may occur. With that in mind, it is advised to eat fewer than 20 coffee beans a day to try and reduce these side effects!
Well, that was interesting! We hope this helped those who were just as curious as us! The overall message in this post is to be mindful of how much you are eating! We are not saying you have to eat it, or you should not eat it, just be sure to limit yourself to avoid health issues! We know we will continue indulging in these delicious treats…muahahaha!!
