Chocolate – the food of love!

As part of their practically based course, National Diploma students at Loughry have been manufacturing some Valentine’s treats. Through research they have discovered some of the beneficial properties of chocolate.

Rachel Anderson (Rasharkin), Chloe Alexander (Lack) and Aimee Rafferty (Ballygawley) quality assure their produce!

Did you know that cocoa beans are packed with antioxidants – chemicals known for their cell protecting properties? These antioxidants mop-up free radicals – rogue molecules which can contribute to heart disease and are linked to cancers.

These antioxidants are found in the cocoa bean and not in the milk or sugar so as a general rule – the darker the chocolate the better.

So what will give your Valentine that warm fuzzy feeling when chocolate melts in their mouth? Well, chocolate helps release endorphins in the brain (natural “feel-good” chemicals) which can actually relieve symptoms of pain and give that “inner glow”!

Of course, overindulging in won’t help your waistline with all types of chocolate being high in saturated fat, increasing the risk of heart disease. Therefore moderation is advised!

As you can probably imagine students on Food Technology or Food Nutrition & Health courses quite enjoy exploring chocolate and other foods! If you’re interested in doing the same, ending up with an interesting and well paid career come along to Loughry’s Open Evening on Tuesday 17 April 2018. See the CAFRE website for details.

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