Chocolate treat 'made with superfoods' could help you live longer - Surrey Live

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According to some experts, indulging in dark chocolate with a high cocoa content could unlock a range of long-term health benefits. These benefits may include enhanced brain function, reduced inflammation, and improved gut health.

While it's important not to consume too much chocolate due to its sugar and calorie content, which can spoil these advantages, there are ways to incorporate it into your diet. Longevity researchers have endorsed one particular healthy chocolate-flavoured dessert.

Experts behind the Blue Zone diet, which is inspired by the dietary habits of people living in regions known for their extended lifespans, have created a 'healthy' chocolate mousse recipe. This dessert features superfood ingredients such as dates, organic tofu, and tapioca flour, all chosen for their potential to help prevent illnesses and diseases.

Online, the recipe states: "Many recipes for plant-based chocolate mousse include melted chocolate chips for an overly sweet result that is high in refined sugars. Sweetened with dates and made with an unconventional mousse ingredient, this is the perfect dairy-free, vegan, guilt-free chocolate mousse recipe."

The recipe's sweet addition of dates - a fruit that ITV's Dr Amir Khan has recommended to his patients and consumes himself daily - has its own health benefits. Dr Khan highlighted that dates have been shown to "lower your average blood sugars and even lower your cholesterol", reports the Express.

With its straightforward recipe method, whipping up the "guilt-free" dessert is easy. It takes mere minutes to put together. You can savour the pudding as it is or enhance its taste with toppings such as strawberries, raspberries, and cacao nibs.

Soak the dates in half a cup of hot water for an hour or leave them overnight for better results. Steam the tofu using a steaming rack over boiling water for about 10 minutes, then allow it to cool. Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until you achieve a creamy consistency. Divide the mixture into individual dessert cups and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

At the heart of this sweet treat lies tofu, renowned for its health-protective compounds that may guard against many conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. This soy-based staple is also thought to bolster brain and bone health, among other potential benefits. Although the longevity-boosting claims of tofu are promising, further studies are needed to confirm these.

Here's a brief overview of some of its top health perks:

Tofu and other soy-based products can help lower inflammation in the body, which in turn decreases the likelihood of various health problems. Research conducted at Oklahoma State University indicates that soy protein items such as tofu and tempeh might alleviate joint pain.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of soy could help mitigate oxidative stress linked to conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Studies on animals have shown that soy may help lessen inflammation and the production of excess free radicals in the brain.

Although tofu possesses a long list of health benefits, it is much more effective when eaten alongside a balanced diet, rather than just on its own. Before incorporating tofu and the other ingredients mentioned into your diet, consult with your doctor to ensure they're appropriate for you. Generally, consuming tofu and other soy products daily is considered safe.

Some medical professionals advise that people with breast tumours moderate their tofu intake due to tofu's mild hormonal effects, particularly for those with estrogen-sensitive breast tumours. Excessive tofu consumption might trigger digestive discomfort like bloating or gas, especially for those not used to a fibre-rich diet.

For those keen on trying out more recipes, there's a range of options online that follow the Blue Zone dietary guidelines. They're split into several different categories like breakfasts, mains, desserts or snacks.