Eating
chocolate(chaw-kuh-lit) for health Benefits
Here’s a riddle(rid-l)
what food item has been around since 2000 B.C., cures diseases and once was
only to be eaten by royalty served warm?
That answer is of
course, cocoa-pronounced (koh-koh).
Cocoa comes from the
cocoa tree and it is one of the best antioxidants on the planet. Some
ingredients found in cocoa are iron(ahy-ern), magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper
and potassium. The cocoa in dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce Ldl or
low density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol) and to increase the HDL or good
cholesterols in the body.
Nature(ney-cher) has
been kind to have a food item that not only tastes great, but also has so many
benefits; From lowering blood pressure, and fighting heart disease to improving
blood flow, and to keeping skin healthy to preventing strokes(strohks).
Origins of chocolate
The origins of chocolate
go back to the pre-Olmec period in Mexico’s history, when Cocoa was first
started being harvested and eaten by the local population. The word Cocoa
literally means God’s food, a good indicator of just how important they felt
chocolate was to their survival.
A recent study done in
Sweden(sweed-n) found that less than 2 ounces of chocolate (45 grams) per week
lowered risk of stroke by twenty percent over the control group that consumed
only 9 grams. It’s this ability to lower blood pressure(relax) and improve
blood flow, that has people claiming that consuming chocolate has also improved
their vision--by increasing the blood flow to the retina.
For pregnant(preg-nuhnt)
women, studies have shown that consuming chocolate gets the babies to move
around more, perhaps they are trying to get closer to the source?
The benefits of
chocolate are due to the high concentration of vitamin C and antioxidant
flavonoids. These flavonoids(fley-vuh-noid) help prevent the brain and the
nervous system from dulling with age, while also reducing the free radicals in
our body. Researchers also find that high amounts of serotonin in chocolate
helps to increase brain activity and stimulates focus. Cocoa also has blood
thinning and anti-clotting properties which work in a similar fashion to
aspirin, lowering blood pressure and preventing stroke.
Benefits of Flavonoids
The flavonoids are also
very good at keeping the heart(hahrt) healthy against aging and doubles with
the addition of stearic acid which helps to reduce the risk of heart attack.
The presence of caffeine makes chocolate a powerful stimulant and
antidepressant. Chocolate also has tryptophan in it, a known amino(uh-mee-noh)
acid which has relaxing effects.
In a recent study in
Stockholm, they studied more than 37,000 men between the ages of 45 and 79 for
10 years and found that those who ate about two ounces of chocolate per week
had a 17 % lower risk of having a stroke.
For the sun worshippers,
you’ll be happy to know that chocolates’ flavonoids also protect the skin
against the harmful effect of UV(ultraviolet) rays.
Get rid of that cough
Have a cough you can’t
get rid of? Cocoa also contains theobromine(thee-uh-broh-meen), an ingredient
that reduces activity to the Vagus nerve, the part of the brain known to
trigger persistent coughs.
Here are a few chocolate
negatives, as if chocolate had any. Chocolate is addicting and contains added
sugar and dairy. Pimples? Chocolate’s mixture of high fats and dairy might not
agree with everyone’s skin. Kidney stones? Really hard to believe, but if you
are already susceptible, then the oxalates found in chocolate, have been known
to cause kidney(kid-nee) stones. Nervousness? Eating a whole box of chocolates
or an entire chocolate bar might just make you a little dehydrated, anxious, or
even irritable(ir-i-tuh-buhl).
Of course chocolate
lovers know that there are three main kinds of chocolate; dark, milk and white.
Dark chocolate has little or no milk with cocoa percentages from between 70 and
99 percent, Milk chocolate contains more milk and less cocoa, and white
chocolate contains no chocolate liquor-- which is why it’s white or
ivory(ahy-vuh-ree) color.
The good news is that
chocolate is found almost everywhere on the planet. So grab a bar and get
healthy, but sorry, just one piece, since chocolate does contain sugar, dairy
and fat.
