July 3 – Why Chocolate IS Good for You
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Dark Chocolate has a lot of good nutritional value for our bodies. Just count those Polyphenols – compounds that reduce oxidative power in our bodies – and their effect on the overall health.
Let’s get down to some benefits that have been researched, observed and documented. And yes, let’s note some interesting Facts about chocolate as well: its aphrodisiac and romantic properties.
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Do you like CHOCOLATE?
What kind of chocolate do you prefer: DARK, MILK, WHITE?
What does it make you feel when you reach out for a piece of two?
Good morning I like all chocolate
Good morning everyone!!! Hope everyone has a happy fourth of July and be safe.
Good morning all. I love dark chocolate.
good morning I am here for a while they are loading the truck so we can leave I love milk chocolate
Morning I love all chocolate.
Good afternoon everyone. I love dark chocolate best, and when I reach for a piece, I feel self indulgent. It’s a treat that I don’t feel very guilty about.
Good evening 🙂 I LOVE chocolate but only on occasion .Makes me feel Amazing when I have it (&/or fat but only when I eat a whole bag or 2 in a sitting).My favorite is white chocolate but I crave mik chocolate (I highly dislike dark)
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CHOCOLATE MAY HELP BLOOD FLOW
The Journal of the American Heart Association has published the evidence that chocolate may be the source for improving vascular health by increasing blood flow.
“As part of the study, researchers gave half of the 20 participants 40 grams (about 1.5 ounces) of dark chocolate that had at least 85 percent cocoa. The other half of the group received 40 grams of milk chocolate that had less than 30 percent cocoa. The aim was to test whether the dark chocolate could improve those patients’ ability to walk on their own on a treadmill.
“After eating the dark chocolate, [the participants] walked an average 11 percent farther,” study author of Sapienza University of Rome tells The Salt in an email. And yes, he says they were surprised by the findings.
He and his colleagues observed improved blood flow among the participants who ate the dark chocolate. “Conversely, we did not observe effects on blood flow and on walking autonomy in PAD patients after milk chocolate consumption.”
The researchers say that POLYPHENOLS in dark chocolate reduce oxidative stress on the body and help the body form more of NITRIC OXIDE, a compound that results in blood vessels dialation.
FYI: MEDITATION causes similar effect on the body like chocolate!
Photo: iStockphoto
White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate are favorites, and sometimes Dark Chocolate depending on who makes it. Not all chocolate is created equal !
This is fantastic news. I buy extreme dark chocolate, and it’s low enough in sugar that hubby can even have a square or two. We’ll start having ours before I make him do his therapies.
I love chocolate of all kinds.
Love how it helps the body and improves vascular health by increasing blood flow. It that were true I would be a lot healthier than I am. But I will continue to eat my chocolate candy. Thanks for the information.
well that’s some good news as long as it is in moderation
NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CHOCOLATE
Look what’s in 100 grams of Dark Chocolate with 70-85% of Cocoa content!
11 grams of fiber
67% of the RDA for Iron
58% of the RDA for Magnesium
89% of the RDA for Copper
98% of the RDA for Manganese
It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium
This is some Awesome Nutritional profile for any food!
BUT…
Be ware of the following:
– 100 grams is a LOT!
– Calories are about of 600 for this amount of chocolate!
– Watch for SUGAR content in chocolate
Some brands are very good not to put too much in it
– FATTY ACID profile is excellent –> contains mostly Saturated and Monounsaturated fats, with small %-tage of Polyunsaturated fats.
– Caffeine is relatively small and shouldn’t be affecting your sleep
Eat in moderation. Enjoy small amounts daily to get the multiplying effect, or Compounding effect of this amazing food!
A lot of information I never knew about chocolate. I guess it is good in some ways but in others it is bad for you.
Tammy,
In may humble opinion, Dark Chocolate without any additives is an excellent source of nutrients for our bodies. It’s an excellent FOOD! Have it, enjoy it!
Mind Ingredients list for different brands, as they put a lot of additives and WAX into chocolate.
REAL chocolate melts on the palm of your hand and leaves ZERO chewing traces in your mouth!
Such a great source of nutrition ! I like that chocolate is good for you !
Moderation is key.
We usually have a square or two off the bars I buy. We enjoy it very slowly, nibbling tiny little pieces off to let it melt in our mouths. Doing it this way, it takes so long to eat one square that we feel like we’ve really indulged in a luxury lol.
One bar lasts the two of us a week or so, since we don’t usually eat it daily.There are 6-8 squares per bar, depending on the brand.
I love both Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate and occasionally Dark Chocolate
yes moderation is the key
DARK CHOCOLATE RAISES HDL (good cholesterol) and PROTECTS LDL (bad choleterol) AGAINST OXIDATION
Want to decrease risk factors for heart disease, start eating small amounts of chocolate regularly.
In a controlled trial, cocoa powder was found to significantly decrease oxidized LDL cholesterol in men.
It also increased HDL and lowered total LDL in men with elevated cholesterol
See the study here –> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513403
Oxidized LDL means that the LDL (“bad” cholesterol) has reacted with free radicals.
This makes the LDL particle itself reactive and capable of damaging other tissues… such as the lining of the arteries in your heart.
It makes perfect sense that cocoa lowers oxidized LDL. It contains an abundance of powerful antioxidants that do make it into the bloodstream and protect lipoproteins against oxidative damage.
See the Studies here:
– Study 1
– Study 2
– Study 3
– Study 4
Dark chocolate can also reduce insulin resistance, which is another common risk factor for many diseases like heart disease and diabetes
See Studies Here:
– Study on Insulin Resistance and Blood Pressure and Chocolate
– Study 6 on Blood Pressure and Chocolate
Really ? It reduces Insulin resistance ? Well, now I should be eating more of it !
that’s pretty cool I think so a chocolate a day will keep you happy to
Well guess we all need chocolate.
Great studies. Just makes me enjoy my extreme dark chocolate that much more.
DARK CHOCOLATE MAY LOWER THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Based on the Observational Studies, it does show that people who consumed more chocolate for an extended period of time did indeed had lowered risks of heart disease.
“In a study of 470 elderly men, cocoa was found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by a whopping 50% over a 15 year period (16).
Cocoa intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular mortality: the Zutphen Elderly Study.
Another study revealed that eating chocolate 2 or more times per week lowered the risk of having calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%. Eating chocolate less frequently had no effect (17).
The NHLBI Family Heart Study
Yet another study showed that chocolate 5+ times per week lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 57% (18).”
Chocolate consumption is inversely associated with prevalent coronary heart disease: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study
Hmm, perfect reason to eat chocolate.
Well this is great news!
Maybe more doctors should prescribe “Chocolate” 🙂 Oops, that is what wives are for right ? EAT CHOCOLATE !
I think it is good finally good news I could use
LOWER YOUR STRESS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE
CHECK OUT THIS POST with some top easy-to-do daily things that Lower your Stress level. Dark Chocolate is one of them!
ok I will be needing some for my trip so I need to lower my stress lol
oh I definitely eat chocolate for stress relief ! Really helps ! Great for menopause too. It really does affect brain chemistry and can help you get back on track.
Sounds good to me. Let’s have some chocolate.
I totally agree with this. I savor it so slowly, and concentrate on the scent, texture, and taste. By the time I’m finished, I feel relaxed and pampered.
I really wish I liked dark chocolate- It seems to have the most health benefits
Love love love this topic this morning.