What Makes dark chocolate healthy?
Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes… youjust want to eat chocolate.
For some people, it is music to the ears to hear news stories reporting that chocolate is healthy? So before you start downing Snickers and Reece’s, be sure you understand what makes chocolate (specifically, dark chocolate) healthy.
According to The Journal of the American Medical Association’s August 27th issue, dark chocolate helps lower high blood pressure.
Dark chocolate is also a potent antioxidant, reported by Mauro Serafini of Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research. Antioxidants gobble up free radicals which are destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments.
So what is it, exactly, that makes darker the smarter choice for chocolate? Plant phenols, to be specific. By definition, plant phenols are “mostly products of the phenylpropanoid pathway and comprise a large variety of compounds. They are strong antioxidants and might prevent oxidative damage to biomolecules such as DNA, lipids and proteins which play a role in chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. They may also interfere with all stages of the cancer process, potentially resulting in a reduction of cancer risk.”
The high-cocoa content in dark chocolate bars contains loads of epicatechin, an active member of a group of compounds called plant flavonoids. Flavoniods keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.
Dark chocolate ranks above other forms and flavors because it contains much higher percentages of cocoa. Standard chocolate manufacturing and flavoring destroys up to half of the naturally occurring flavoniods, but companies have now perfect a method helping preserve up to 95% in the darker version of our coveted little treat.
All of this fabulous news doesn’t mean you should over-indulge. While dark chocolate is plant-derived, it is still high in caloric content. Enjoy sparingly and as a pleasant reward for your hard work or for celebrating with loved ones.
Other facts:
Dark chocolate contains 8 times the number of antioxidants found in strawberries
Helps relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide and balances certain hormones in the body.
longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm
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