After all, is ice cream good or bad for your health?

Hot days are a real invitation to enjoy one of the most delicious desserts in the world, ice cream. Pasta or stick, in a cone or in a cup, with or without topping, with fruit, yogurt or even accompanied by goodies such as chocolate, farofa, confetti and whatever else you can imagine, ice creams are always an irresistible, tasty temptation. and refreshing. However, when enjoying an ice cream, few people wonder about the effects it can have on health and like everything in life, it also has its pros and cons.

Where does the ice cream come from?

According to ABIS, the Brazilian Association of Ice Cream Industries, the history of this dessert begins in China over 3,000 years ago, when Chinese began to mix snow with fruit and honey, a technique later learned by the Arabs and later by the French. From 1292, new oriental techniques of preparation arrived in Italy and the frozen dessert became a great success that later spread throughout Europe and the United States. In Brazil, ice cream only arrived around 1834, when merchants from Rio de Janeiro bought ice that arrived in the country on an American ship and mixed it with Brazilian fruits. In tropical lands, with a wide variety of fruits available, success was guaranteed.

Composition and benefits of ice cream

Ice cream is made from a mixture of water or milk, sugar, fat, fruit juice or aroma, emulsifier, thickener and additives and has different manufacturing techniques. Its formula allows ingredients to be added to obtain varied flavors and textures.

From a nutritional point of view, ice cream can be considered a nutritious food, as its formula contains protein, sugar, vegetable or animal fat, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, D, K and other minerals that are good for health.

Creams, which are made from milk, have high amounts of mineral salts, especially calcium, essential for the development and proper functioning of bones. The calcium in two scoops of ice cream is equivalent to that found in a glass of milk. The large amount of protein found in ice cream also helps the body maintain its vital functions.

And for those who are scared by the caloric indices of this delight, the good news is that the rates are not that alarming. A 60-gram scoop of chocolate ice cream, for example, has 112 calories, almost the same as a 50-gram French bread with crumbs, which has 135 calories. But that does not mean under any circumstances that you can have pots and more pots of ice cream, because excess fat and protein are also bad for the body.

It is essential to observe the amount of trans fats present in the composition of ice cream. Both it and normal fat, when consumed in amounts above the ideal, are harmful to the body and can contribute to health problems such as increased bad cholesterol (LDL), cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Pay attention to the side dishes offered at the ice cream parlors. Behind so many colors and flavors of the toppings, candies, farofas and other confectionery, hundreds and hundreds of calories are hidden.

Fruit ice cream is usually lighter, as it is made with water, but if we compare it to a mass ice cream, the calories are equivalent, as are soy-based ice creams. The advantage of the latter is that because it is completely plant-based, it can be consumed by people who are lactose and gluten intolerant. In addition, soy protein helps to reduce bad cholesterol.

For those who want to cool off without having to put the blame on the scales, the best option is low-calorie ice cream and natural frozen, which is a yogurt-based ice cream. Frozen is less caloric, rich in calcium and fibers that prolong the feeling of food satiety, in addition, it has no preservatives and collaborates with the proper functioning of the intestine.

In addition to these nutritional aspects, according to research carried out at Harvard University, ice cream can also contribute to increasing female fertility. In this research, 18,000 women were followed and those who exchanged a glass of whole milk for ice cream, consuming at least two servings of ice cream daily, were 85% more likely to ovulate than those who did not consume ice cream.

In another study carried out at the Center for Neuroimaging Sciences in London, British researchers discovered something that many people already knew: that ice cream provides pleasure. To prove the fact, volunteers consumed cream ice cream and then underwent MRI scans, which showed that ice cream affects the pleasure zones of the brain, the same ones that are activated when people are having fun.

And for those who believe that ice cream causes flu, cold or sore throat and therefore can only be consumed in the heat, doctors say that this is just a myth, since what causes flu is a virus and not cold foods. The countries where the consumption of ice cream is greater are the Europeans, where the winter is usually much more rigorous, in addition, no scientific research confirms the relationship of these diseases with the consumption of ice cream in the cold. In the case of sore throats such as tonsillitis, contrary to what many believe, cold foods are more suitable than hot ones.

Even with so many points in favor of its consumption, in a study that circulates on the internet and which selected the ten worst foods of all time for health, ice cream managed to be in tenth place. According to Canadian nutritionist Michelle Schoffro Cook, the high levels of sugar and trans fats present in industrialized ice cream, in addition to artificial coloring and flavoring, can cause serious damage to the brain and nervous system.

Therefore, whenever we can opt for a natural option instead of an industrialized one, we will be making the best choice for our organism, this is a fact, but no research is necessary to prove that moderate doses of pleasure, like an ice cream at the end in the afternoon are good for the soul. So enjoy your ice cream in moderation and guilt-free.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.