Chocolate
A chocolate bar a day keeps the doctor away?
| 23 June 2011 |
“Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is rich in flavonoids, the same compound that gives plants their vibrant color and reduces cellular damage. Flavonoids are also found in grapes, red wine and tea,” said Devries.
The same opinion of Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, from the University of Cologne, Germany. His report appears in the Aug. 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association and explain how dark chocolate lowers high blood pressure.
Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome, wrote in a report in the Aug. 28 issue of Nature that chocolate is a potent antioxidant.
Flavonoids aid in cardiovascular health by reducing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and plaque formation on the walls of the arteries. It also improves the ability of arteries to deliver oxygen, increase blood flow, and reduce the risk of blood clotting.
“Studies showed less calcium deposits in the arteries and lower rates of heart disease in people who ate more chocolate than their counterparts,” added Devries.
While chocolate may have health benefits, there is need for more research. There are no established guidelines for how much chocolate needs to be consumed to be beneficial to the heart, but available studies show benefit with 2 ounces per day.
Opt for dark chocolates when picking your treats; they yield the highest content of flavonoids and the greatest health benefits. Normal milk chocolate has less flavonoids, but Slitti's Lattenero milk chocolate, with cocoa content up to 70% (compared to 35% of normal milk chocolate) has the same healthy properties of dark chocolate. White chocolate has no health benefit.
“Cocoa is the source of the healthy flavonoids in chocolate. Look for dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 60 percent or more. Remember, the darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa content and the more antioxidants it contains. The healthiest choices also have the lowest content of added sugar,” explained Devries.
Devries suggests eating a small amount of dark chocolate in place of other desserts in addition to a balanced diet combined with exercise to encourage cardiovascular health.
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