The Beneficial Newest Health Food

Posted under Articles by baryant

The amazing research news comes in about chocolate, the substance goes from bad to-you candy to important health food. Those of us who have always continued to be engaged in some chocolate treats can stop feeling guilty and now easily justify our cravings.

Perhaps you've heard that chocolate contains beneficial flavonoids and antioxidents. Flavonoids naturally-occurring compounds found in plant foods that are full of recognized health benefits. There are more than 4000 flavonoid compounds, which are a subgroup of a large class called polyphenols. Phenols are believed to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by helping to prevent atherosclerosis. Flavanols in chocolate appear to help the body use nitric oxide, which is crucial for healthy blood flow and blood pressure, and this means that chocolate may help reduce hypertension as well.

Red wine is to know its high phenol content, but the average bar of dark chocolate contains more phenols than 8 ounces of red wine. Scientists from Cornell University and Seoul National University, considered the fight against cancer antioxidant content of cocoa, red wine and tea, and found that cocoa had nearly double the antioxidants of red wine and four to five times more than tea.

Dutch National Institute for Health and Environment found that dark chocolate contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. (Catechins are powerful antioxidants that fight cancer and prevent cardiovascular disease). In contrast, a cup of black tea only contains about 14 mg catechins of green tea and about 30 mg catechins.

Study at the University of California Davis found that participants who ate chocolate showed reduced platelet activity. This means that chocolate has anti-clotting, blood thinning effect which can be compared with aspirin.

Study at Harvard University in 8000, with an average age 65 years showed that those who consumed chocolate lived almost a year longer than those who did not. Those who ate candy 2:59 per month was 36 percent lower risk of death (compared to people who do not eat candy), while those who ate three or more sweets a week were 16 percent lower risk.

Study of older men in the Netherlands, known for its chocolate, showed that those who ate the most chocolate, the equivalent of one third of chocolate every day had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death. The researchers also noted that most men eat cocoa products were not heavier or more consumers than men who ate less cocoa.

And it's not only dark chocolate, it's only healthy type of chocolate. Most studies show the benefits of dark chocolate, but some of the latest news about chocolate contains good news for lovers of milk chocolate, which in the past.

Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia conducted a study that shows that milk chocolate seems to improve mental. Groups in the test consumed, on different occasions, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, carob and nothing else. Then they were tested for cognitive function, including memory, attention span, reaction time, and solving problems.

According to Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, "Composite ratings for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher milk chocolate than the other conditions." The study also showed that consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time. It seems that by consuming chocolate you get the stimulating effect of substances contained in chocolate, such as theobromine and phenylethylamine, which can then lead to increased mental performance.

Chocolate really make you feel good, too. He is known to stimulate secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to "runner's high" a runner feels after running several miles. Chocolate also contains the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as an antidepressant. Studies in England show that even a flavor of chocolate makes an attack of euphoria and helps elevate mood.

And now people are looking at chocolate for skin care. By Marlies Spinale, director of Tru Spa, "Like many other antioxidants, cocoa polyphenols are believed to offer the skin protection against free radical damage caused by sun, pollution, stress, alcohol consumption and other factors. I believe that we will hear more about benefits of chocolate in skin care.

Some people have been avoiding chocolate because one of the main ingredients of chocolate with cocoa butter. It was believed that it was unhealthy fat, but in fact the cocoa butter is not unhealthy. It consists of useful fatty acids - oleic acid (the cardiovascular system and monounsaturated fats found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acid. Stearic and palmitic acid, healthy form of saturated fat. Plus, chocolate contains vitamins A, B1, C, D and E, as well as potassium, sodium and iron.

So go ahead and do a bit of chocolate, in moderation, of course. I recommend that you try to find organic chocolate, and stick with dark chocolate, because chocolate has more flavonoids and less sugar. (Sugar weakens the immune system, so do not eat sugar, if you're sick.) And a little bit of milk chocolate in the order, when you need occasional chocolate milk increase intelligence, for example, before the test. All you students take note!