Chocolate World: Great Health Benefits & Taste
Eating a scrumptiously healthy dark chocolate provides a sweet taste from the stars …and has great health benefits.
Devouring chocolate as a cure for high stress …claims a new clinical trial test. This lovely group of lucky eaters discovered an ounce a day, for two straight weeks, reduced levels of stress hormones. Whoopee! Pass the goodies. And,
You might be amazed to learn these dark goodies can help you lose the fat you got! Why? Because it has appetite-suppressant properties, cocoa is often added to weight loss products to help control hunger.
While you may have been told that chocolate is “fattening”, the truth is that the fats found in cocoa butter are actually healthy fats! And,
Cacao contains oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat which is also found in olive oil.
And, it is believed to raise the level of the “good cholesterol” known as HDL cholesterol (the acronym HDL stands for “High Density Lipid”).
Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids.
These little critters, are an antioxidant found in cocoa (among other super foods such as cranberries, peanuts, apples, onions, tea and red wine).
The term antioxidant is one you see frequently in the world of nutrition but what does it mean to you and me?
Think about taking your brand new car to the beach. If you left it there for a month or so unprotected, it might start to oxidize or rust. However, a good wax job helps to prevent that oxidation or rust and takes care of the car.
Think of free radicals or unhealthy cells in the body as rust and the antioxidants as the wax which help destroy the free radicals and maintain a healthy body.
The total antioxidant content of chocolate products are directly associated with the amount of raw cocoa it contains.
It’s no surprise then that cocoa powder ranks number one when it comes to health benefits, as it contains the highest level of flavonoid antioxidants.
According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry a couple of months ago, in terms of healthy antioxidant content, cocoa powder is followed by:
- Unsweetened baking chocolate
- Dark chocolate
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Milk chocolate
Dark chocolate can boost levels of antioxidants in the blood by 20%.
However, milk chocolate does not have the same health giving properties. A study revealed that you need twice as much milk chocolate as dark chocolates to obtain the same amount of antioxidants.
Processing has a lot to do with whether the chocolate in question has any benefits. Milk chocolate rates very poorly in this regard as it is heavily processed. The typical commercial chocolate has less than half of its flavonoids remaining after processing.
In addition, milk chocolate contains milk, which cancels out chocolate’s antioxidant effects, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Proteins in the milk bind with the antioxidants, making them less easily absorbed by your body.
You should look for pure dark chocolate or dark chocolate with nuts, orange peel or other flavorings. Avoid anything with caramel, nougat or other fillings. These fillings are just adding sugar and fat which erase many of the benefits you get from eating the chocolate.
Remember: Even if you can get your hands on the healthiest dark chocolate available, eat in moderation. The ideal amount is 6.7 grams per day.
Want to know more about chocolate?
Then, post your question below.
Yours truly for great health, mind and body,
Michelle, natural health advocate
December 17 2009 08:12 pm | Healthy Eating and Natural Beauty and Natural Remedies
May 20th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Very cool stuff you have here!
May 23rd, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Zure blog oso interesgarria. bezala eduki behar izan naiz informazio hori bilatzen eta azkenean lortu dira nahi nuke. Eskerrik asko.
May 25th, 2010 at 12:03 am
I Really realize what your position in this matter is. Though I should disagree on a number of the finer details, I think that you did a wonderful job explaining it. Definitely beats having to study it by myself. Thank you.