Cinnamon, ginger, and mint enhanced chocolates effectively reduce menstrual pain and improve blood iron levels without increasing body weight or negatively affecting cholesterol.
Randomised Controlled Trial Chinese Cinnamon Cinnamon Dark Chocolate
The methodology of the study involved a sample of 48 female student volunteers, aged 18-25, from Mansoura University who were experiencing dysmenorrhea. These volunteers were divided into eight groups of six and each group was given a different type of chocolate: regular chocolate, chocolate without herbal powder, chocolate with cinnamon powder, chocolate with cinnamon oil, chocolate with ginger powder, chocolate with ginger oil, chocolate with mint powder, and chocolate with mint oil.
Discussion of the results demonstrated that the consumption of chocolates supplemented with cinnamon, ginger, and mint powders and their respective essential oils led to a significant improvement in participants' hemoglobin scores compared to a control group which consumed normal chocolate. Furthermore, it was found that these chocolates had a positive influence on serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein scores. Importantly, chocolate consumption did not lead to an increase in the participants' body mass index, proving that these chocolate variants could reduce menstrual pain and lift blood iron levels without instigating weight gain or having adverse effects on cholesterol levels.
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Dark chocolate was combined with herbal ingredients consisting of turmeric, red ginger, moringa, sambiloto extract, and honey as a beverage (250 mL).
—Jinnan C 29 Oct 2023