One of the protagonists of Easter is chocolate. Whether in the form of an egg, a candy box or a bar, this Sunday (9) it will be in many people’s homes. But is chocolate really good for your health? Does it bring a benefit? And migraines? Could he be responsible?

First, understand the differences between types of chocolate:

That’s right. Chocolate comes from cocoa, which contains about 380 different chemicals. Among them, flavonoids – substances with antioxidant action that act on cellular aging, on the brain, on cardiovascular health and on cholesterol.

“Flavonoids are substances that make us neutralize free radicals. By neutralizing, they reduce the risk of damage to cells throughout our body: cell aging, neurological damage – the brain is a very active tissue and releases a lot of free radicals. With flavonoids, we have managed to avoid this,” explains nutritionist Lara Natacci.

Chocolate is also able to modulate our mood, bringing a feeling of pleasure and well-being.

But not everything is so sweet… To find all the substances, the chocolate must contain at least 70% cocoa.

It is not known yet. Although many studies associate chocolate consumption with the onset of headaches, scientifically the physiological mechanisms behind this are unclear.

Chocolate consumption is commonly associated with the onset of migraine, a type of headache that can affect over a billion people worldwide.

However, according to experts, caution is in order: certain foods can, yes, promote migraines, but there is no rule of what can or cannot.

“Scientifically, we have a very good side of cocoa, which will be present in chocolate, but on the other hand, we still do not know to what extent it can negatively impact the appearance of migraine attacks. Everything is still very contradictory”, says Mywa.

What we have to pay attention to is whether the crisis was caused by the food or if the person was already in crisis when they ate the food and did not realize it, according to Fábio Porto , neurologist at the Hospital das Clínicas. in Sao Paulo.

The best way to analyze whether a food promotes the onset of migraine attacks or is a prodrome symptom is to keep a diary, where the individual will detail what they ate and how they felt before, during and after the attack. consumption.

No study proves this relationship. In particular, as we said above, the cocoa present in chocolate is beneficial for health and the skin.

However, we know that any food high in fat can disrupt the lipid and water balance of the skin. But chocolate isn’t the big culprit.

No, but it contains bioactive substances and compounds that provide a feeling of well-being, pleasure, euphoria, with a stimulating and exciting action.

“The feeling of pleasure generated by chocolate can have several explanations. Biogenic amines, for example, help modulate mood, improving the feeling of well-being and happiness”, specifies the nutritionist.