Ice cream is one of the most loved desserts of all time, with tons of flavors to pick from, and entire industries designed just to support the sale of the frozen treat. In fact, there are about 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream and related desserts produced in the United States yearly.
That's a lot of ice cream.
Along with ice cream comes things like ice cream cups, tasting spoons (which are oftencolored spoons), and lots of other dessert supplies. A truly thriving industry.
It also comes with a myriad of health benefits. Yes, really. Ice cream has health benefits.
According to a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate at least one daily serving of full-fat dairy products, such as ice cream, can actually gain less weight than those that didn't. That doesn't mean that you can sit with a tub of it, and a handful of colored spoons, and expect to lose weight, that's not likely.
But a half-cup serving of vanilla or chocolate can be a reasonable part of your diet. This serving size has about 140 calories, 7g of fat, and 14g of sugar, so not too terrible.
Now, ice cream is not exactly healthy food, there is no denying that. Its main ingredients are sugar, milk, cream, and flavoring. However, ice cream does actually provide your body with a handful of nutrients, including calcium and phosphorus for bone strengthening, and potassium that helps reduce blood pressure.
And along with milk comes protein, which is a key factor in tissue repair and cellular growth So, it isn't as poorly nutritious as it would seem.
Ice cream also has the added benefit of making you smile. A study found that ice cream has an effect on the brain activity of people eating it, and as soon as a participant swallowed the frozen treat it directly affected the pleasure center of the brain. It's why you can feel better when eating it.
So while ice cream won't be winning awards for being a healthy snack for many, it does have a few benefits for your physical and mental health that many hadn't considered before.
If you have any questions about ice cream or ice cream supplies, feel free to contact us. We'll be glad to help.
