Chocolate and its natural source, cacao or cocoa, is one of nature's wonders. Plucked as a colorful fruit, David de Rothschild from the TV series Eco Trip exclaimed, "I think that's almost better than chocolate" upon tasting the white fruit around the bean. Dark chocolate contains more of its healthy items due to its higher cacao content. Quality chocolate satisfies in petite portions, ensuring room for complete meals and making a few ounces a week as part of a balanced diet.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants help prevent and repair cell damage, believed to be an early stage of chronic diseases such as heart disease. University of California Davis nutrition professor and study co-authors discovered that "flavanol-rich cocoa was strikingly effective in mobilizing the participants' circulating angiogenic cells" with effects "on par with medical treatments" for heart disease and behavioral changes such as increased exercise. Researchers are working to learn whether metabolizing foods destroys antioxidant benefits.
Healthy Consequences
Chocolate's ability to lower high blood pressure inspires research in a world where chronic diseases are replacing infectious diseases. The University of California San Francisco professor and researcher Mary B. Engler, Ph.D., reports that her team's research found "small daily doses of dark chocolate can actually improve vascular function." Tufts University's Antioxidants Research Laboratory published findings that people with hypertension eating 3.5 oz. of dark chocolate a day also experienced significant drops in blood pressure. The ingredient or process responsible for this benefit is under study, but scientists believe the release of "feel good" neurotransmitters in the brain lower blood pressure.
Oleic Acid
Chocolate's fat content shares the ingredient oleic acid with the Mediterranean's liquid gold, olive oil, considered key to lower rates of heart diseases in olive producing regions. Oleic acid is a healthier fat than animal fats because it is monounsaturated rather than saturated. Saturated fat is associated with numerous health conditions, including stroke.
Member Comments