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Chocolate:
The Health Food
Ever
wonder why chocolate doesn't spoil? Why you can leave a chocolate bar
unrefrigerated for months without compromising its freshness or taste?
The answer is that chocolate contains potent doses of the polyphenol antioxidants
also found in green tea. These polyphenols not only protect chocolates
from oxidation, they also protect you against cancer
Health
and Happiness - does
chocolate have it all wrapped up?
"Chocolate of good quality…calms the fever, nourishes…the
patient and tends to restore him to health".
(Francis Joseph Victor Broussais, celebrated French physician, 1772—1836).
Although a foamy, bitter drink called "chocolatl" was introduced
into Europe in 1528, it was not until 1876 that milk, chocolate powder
and cocoa butter were combined to form solid milk chocolate as we know
it today. Since then, production and consumption have graduated to a global
scale and chocolate and chocolate favors have become almost universally
accepted to the point where many consumers describe feelings of intense
craving for chocolate. Despite its widespread popularity, few studies
have explored the chemical composition and bioactive constituents of chocolate
in relation to chocolate cravings and medicinal properties, and it is
these attributes which are examined in this short article.
Chocolate's
health benefits
In 1519 Spanish Conquistadore
Hernando Cortes led an expedition into the depths of Mexico to capture
gold and silver treasures from the Aztec people. The Emperor Montezuma,
along with his subjects, welcomed these strange looking visitors as ‘white
Gods, risen from the sea.’ The Spaniards were feasted and served
a cold, bitter drink that was very popular among the Aztecs. The drink
was called cacahuati.
There
have been many studies linking cocoa with health benefits.
The
darker chocolate with the most concentrated cocoa will of course be the
most beneficial. The following
are a list of a few health benefits we found:
Heart
- Phytochemicals called flavonoids that are found in cocoa have two positive
effects. One, the antioxidants block arterial damage caused by free radicals.
These unstable molecules (free radicals) may damage the arterial walls
by blocking the artery wall lining. The second indicates, that chocolate
inhibit platelet aggregation which could cause a heart attack or stroke.
There have also been studies indicating that cocoa flavonoids relax the
blood vessels which inhibit an enzyme that causes inflammation.
Chocolate
- Health Benefits
"My momma always said,
life is like a box of chocolates. You never quite know what you're gonna
get."
(Forrest Gump)
Forrest Gump is right - half the fun of digging into a box of chocolates
is trying to pick your favorite flavor. But chocolate itself has certain
qualities that never change. The product of the cacao tree has been winning
fans since Aztec leader Montezuma introduced the beverage (chocolate candy
as we know it didn't appear until the 1800's) to the Spanish conqueror
Cortez, who subsequently took it home to Spain. (While the original drink
was rather bitter, the Spanish made a few creative innovations - using
sugar instead of chilies, and adding cinnamon and vanilla).
www.chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa013100a.htm
Is
chocolate healthier than green tea?
"Chocolate
contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea." Sound
too good to be true? In fact, that was the conclusion of a recent study
by Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment. Researchers
found that chocolate - specifically dark chocolate - contains 53.5 mg
of catechins per 100 grams. (Catechins are the powerful anti-oxidants
that help prevent against cancer and heart disease). By contrast, 100
ml of black tea contains a mere 13.9 mg of catechins.
Eating
chocolate to stay healthy? Well, why not? Scientists have established
that there are important health benefits to be gained from drinking red
wine, so why not chocolate as well? But I wouldn't trade my morning cup
of tea for a box of truffles just yet. For one thing, as Karen Allen points
out in a report for the BBC, the amount of cocoa powder in chocolates
may be quite small. Chocolates often contain other ingredients, such as
saturated fats, that more than outweigh the health benefits to be gained
from cocoa's cancer-fighting chemicals.
More
importantly, the Dutch researchers were not comparing chocolate to green
tea, which is rich in catechins. Furthermore, evidence is mounting that
scientists have only begun to discover the numerous health benefits associated
with drinking green tea. Still, a cup of green tea with a chocolate biscuit
or a piece of dark chocolate sounds like a great way to begin the day!
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Chocolate
There
are few foods that people feel as passionate about -- a passion that goes
beyond a love for the "sweetness" of most candies or desserts:
after all, few people crave caramel, whipped cream, or bubble gum. Chocolate
is, well, different. For the true chocoholic, just thinking about chocolate
can evoke a pleasurable response. You may want to grab a bar or make a
nice cup of hot cocoa before you begin exploring here.
Chocolate
may be better for your health than tea
because it contains more of
a chemical that could prevent cancer and heart disease, researchers have
said.
The BBC's Karen Allen reports: "Having chocolate with a cup of tea
does you good"
The findings follow earlier research revealing that moderate chocolate
consumption offers health benefits.The new research measures the amount
of catechins - the chemical thought to be behind the benefits - in different
types of chocolate. The substance is also found in tea - leading the researchers
to recommend a cup of tea with a chocolate biscuit as one way to help
maintain good health.
The researchers,
from Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment, published
their findings in The Lancet medical journal.
news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_413000/413099.stm
Chocolate
studies suggest health benefits
A Doctor In Your House.com
Here's some
news that you can chew.
Chocolatey chocolate is good for you.
A trip
to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory - not to mention that candy bar you've
been craving - may soon be viewed in a whole new health-smart light.
In what
just might be the most tasty nutritional news that science has produced
in a long time, teams of researchers from the University of California,
Davis (UC Davis) and the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) have found that
chocolate contains compounds that may promote heart health.
Chocolate
Research
If you're a certified chocoholic,
this is the news you've been waiting for: that there may actually be some
health benefits to chocolates. Here's the science behind the news.
AHHH
THE SWEET, SEDUCTIVE TASTE OF CHOCOLATE. IT'S SUCH A LUXURIOUS AND INDULGENT
FOOD. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR HEALTH, CHOCOLATE GETS A BAD RAP FOR BEING
A FATTENING AND NUTRITIONLESS TREAT.
It
shouldn't come as a surprise
that chocolate has a long and flavorful history. The Olmec Indians, the
Mayas, and the Aztecs all enjoyed the delicious cocoa bean long before
it made its way to Europe. In the mid-16th century, chocolate made its
first appearance in Europe, then came to America over 200 years later
in 1765, when the first chocolate factory opened in New England. In 1911,
Frank Mars began selling chocolate in Tacoma, WA., leading to the tasty
Mars, Incorporated brands you now love.
www.cocoapro.com
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