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Chocolate ~ Health Food?
It is generally accepted that fruits, vegetables and red wine, rich in antioxidants, help to prevent ageing, boost the immune system and help fight diseases like cancer. Some research suggests that antioxidant-rich strawberries are more effective in strengthening the immune system than vitamin C, red wine or vegetables. The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are referred to as flavinoids, a type of polyphenol antioxidant. Chocolate also contains flavinoids. The quality and quantity of antioxidants in chocolate is relatively high when compared to other high-antioxidant foods. Cocoa powder ranks the highest of the chocolate products, followed by dark chocolate with milk chocolate containing much less. Dark chocolate contains about eight times the polyphenol antioxidants found in strawberries. That's pretty good, but there is more to chocolate than flavinoids. The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which seems to raise HDL (good cholesterol). This effect was confirmed as long ago as 2001, when researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that people with a diet high in flavinoid-rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate had slightly higher concentrations of HDL. A more recent study published in the Hypertension Journal in 2005 showed that dark chocolate may lower blood pressure in people with hypertension while reducing “bad” cholesterol levels (LDL) by 10 percent. Some studies in the USA have found that 25mg of dark chocolate has a similar effect to aspirin in preventing platelets sticking to the walls of arteries; they haven’t recommended heart or stroke patients swap their aspirin for chocolate though...the effect doesn’t last as long. Besides, too many people might overdose! As a bonus, it seems that the flavinoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic. Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate and chocolate filled lollies. Chocolate isn’t just good for you, it can make you feel good, too. It contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator, and the carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being. Just the smell of chocolate can increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation and maybe creativity.
No wonder that men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't! Is there any down side? What about acne and all that caffeine? Well, research says “No” to the acne question... chocolate is not the culprit, and though there is a bit of caffeine (and some theobromine) in chocolate, there is not enough to cause any problem. However, if you suffer from migraine, chocolate can trigger an attack, and if you feed it to your pet, the bromines might prove fatal, especially to dogs: their livers can’t process theobromine. That applies to chocolate flavoured foods like cake and ice-cream, too. None of this means you should eat all the chocolate you want. Moderation in all things, right. What it does mean is that the chocolate part of sweets is unlikely to do you harm and may even be good for you. But remember, lollies and candy that includes chocolate also include artificial flavours, fats, sugar and salts. The extra fat and calories will quickly outweigh the potential health benefits, and it is probably wise to treat milk chocolate as a lolly, because it takes so much added sugar and fat to make it that the health benefits may not there any more.
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Good information David. Thanks for putting it all together for us. Do you know about >a href="http://www.innocentchocolate.com/"<Innocent Chocolate? >/a<
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Innocent Chocolate! No, I didn't know about it, but it makes my mouth water!!! Almost wish I was in the States just to sample it.
David
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This intel was contributed by David Rich
David Rich
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May, 2012
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