Dark chocolate and cocoa is derived from cocoa beans which are grown in pods on the cacao tree. Antioxidants in chocolate are from the cocoa beans. They are a rich source of natural antioxidants called flavonoids and phytochemicals called polyphenols. Flavonoids have many antioxidant properties.
Benefits of Dark Chocolate
You may be surprised, as I was, that there are many health benefits to eating cocoa and dark chocolate. Here is the report of one study.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on the effects of cocoa and dark chocolate on a study done on 23 healthy Americans. That's not a very large study - but let's look at the results anyway. The published results were:
Cocoa powder and dark chocolate may favorably affect cardiovascular disease risk status by
1) modestly reducing LDL oxidation susceptibility,
2) increasing serum total antioxidant capacity and
3) increasing HDL-cholesterol concentrations, and
4) not adversely affecting prostaglandins
Antioxidants combat and neutralize free radicals which cause damage to our cells, and in particular the macula where lots of oxidation takes place.
Dark Chocolate Antioxidant Tips
1) Dark chocolate has much more antioxidants than milk chocolate. Milk chocolate has the least amount of total antioxidant capacity.
2) The richer in cocoa the better. Select chocolates with at least 70% cocoa content.
3) Natural cocoa powders contain the highest amount of total antioxidant capacity.
4) Don't eat your dark chocolate with a glass of cold milk - the milk interferes with absorption.
5) Most of the studies used about 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits.
"Eating a little bit of chocolate or having a drink of hot cocoa as part of a regular diet is probably good for personal health, so long as people don't eat too much of it, and too much of the kind with lots of butter and sugar," said Diane Becker, the lead researcher of an 18 month study at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
To see a list of foods high in antioxidants go to:
http://www.WebRN-MacularDegeneration.com/antioxidant-foods.html
Leslie Degner, RN,BSN
Better Health For Better Vision
http://www.WebRN-MacularDegeneration.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslie_Degner
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Showing posts with label dark chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dark chocolate. Show all posts
Monday, July 12, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate
So why are the antioxidants in dark chocolate so good for you? Firstly they have a good quantity of antioxidants on the same level as blueberries or red wine which are often being promoted as being good for us. In fact two tablespoons of natural cocoa contain the same amount of antioxidants as four cups of green tea, 1 cup of blueberries and one and a half glasses of red wine.
The antioxidants have been found to have many health benefits which is why they are something that is often talked about at the moment. Many people are consuming foods with high levels of antioxidants in order to improve their health and many of the talked about super foods have high concentrations of them. The health benefits of antioxidants are vast including helping to reduce the risk of many diseases and illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. They have also been found to help heart health by enhancing blood flow, improving cholesterol levels and sometimes reducing blood pressure.
Antioxidants protect the cells in the body from free radicals which are unstable oxygen molecules that can change the structure in cells. Our body does produce its own antioxidants to help to neutralise these free radicals before they do any damage. This damage is thought to cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. These free radicals do occur naturally in the body but as we get older our body produces less antioxidants itself to fight them off and so getting extra from the diet can be very beneficial especially as we age.
As chocolate contains higher concentrations of antioxidants than other foods then it is recognised as a good source and that is why there is so much encouragement to eat antioxidants in dark chocolate rather than from other sources.
Want to find out more, about how healthy dark chocolate can not only make you healthy, but can help you make a secondary income stream from home. Click on Healthy Chocolate Business to learn more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Pedersen
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buy a comforter | stress relief | lucid dreaming | miracle wheatgrass juicer mj 550
The antioxidants have been found to have many health benefits which is why they are something that is often talked about at the moment. Many people are consuming foods with high levels of antioxidants in order to improve their health and many of the talked about super foods have high concentrations of them. The health benefits of antioxidants are vast including helping to reduce the risk of many diseases and illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. They have also been found to help heart health by enhancing blood flow, improving cholesterol levels and sometimes reducing blood pressure.
Antioxidants protect the cells in the body from free radicals which are unstable oxygen molecules that can change the structure in cells. Our body does produce its own antioxidants to help to neutralise these free radicals before they do any damage. This damage is thought to cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. These free radicals do occur naturally in the body but as we get older our body produces less antioxidants itself to fight them off and so getting extra from the diet can be very beneficial especially as we age.
As chocolate contains higher concentrations of antioxidants than other foods then it is recognised as a good source and that is why there is so much encouragement to eat antioxidants in dark chocolate rather than from other sources.
Want to find out more, about how healthy dark chocolate can not only make you healthy, but can help you make a secondary income stream from home. Click on Healthy Chocolate Business to learn more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Pedersen
Related articles on chocolate:
buy a comforter | stress relief | lucid dreaming | miracle wheatgrass juicer mj 550
Friday, August 22, 2008
Healthy Dark Chocolate - SuperFood Or SuperScam?
For most people, the word "chocolate" certainly would not be considered synonymous with the word "healthy". Healthy infers a food source that provides nutritional benefit for our bodies.
Chocolate is a treat, a candy, an indulgence that for centuries has been enjoyed worldwide. Chocolate can quiet a crying child, impress a romantic interest, and add comfort to a relaxing moment ... but HEALTHY? Oh yea ... so it appears!
In recent years, research results have been released indicating that the antioxidant properties of red wine and green tea can have a positive effect upon the body's cardiovascular system.
A recent study conducted by scientists at Cornell University found that cocoa powder, the base from which chocolate is made, contains nearly TWICE the antioxidants of red wine, and up to three times the antioxidants found in green tea.
It is now known that raw cocoa, derived from the FRUIT of the Cacao tree, contains more than 300 chemically identifiable compounds, making it one of the most complex food sources on this planet. In addition, it has been established that raw cocoa has the highest antioxidant value of ALL natural foods in the world!
Fresh cocoa is super-rich in strong antioxidants called flavonoids (up to 10% concentration per mass of cocoa). These flavonoids help maintain healthy blood flow and blood pressure. They also help keep fatty substances in the blood from congealing together, thus decreasing the risk of oxidation and clogging of the arteries.
Flavonoids also help keep the important blood platelets from sticking together ... a condition that can lead to blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes.
The antioxidants found in dark chocolate help to neutralize naturally occurring 'free radical' molecules in the body. Free radicals, if left unchecked, can damage the core structure of healthy cells which leaves them susceptible to disease.
Free radicals can also alter the structure of the cell's DNA, which is the blueprint for a cell to reproduce and duplicate itself. Damaged DNA can lead to malignancy, tumors, and cancer.
Healthy dark chocolate as a nutritional supplement is not merely all about antioxidants.
Cocoa is a good source of the minerals sulfur, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, manganese, plus some of the important B vitamins.
Of these minerals, magnesium is by far the most important. Proper magnesium levels in the body are essential for a healthy heart and ensure its strength and vigor.
Magnesium helps regulate blood pressure and the heartbeat. It also decreases blood coagulation leading to lower blood pressure.
A deficiency in magnesium can have far reaching health consequences, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, and PMT.
Just as with antioxidants, organic dark chocolate is the highest rated natural food for providing this heart healthy essential mineral.
Another mineral with a high concentration in cocoa is sulfur. Sulfur promotes healthy skin, helps build strong nails and healthy hair, helps detoxify the liver, and supports healthy functioning of the pancreas.
Organic dark chocolate also provides supplemental benefits for the brain.
Cocoa is a potent source for the amino acids which make the neurotransmitters known as serotonin and dopamine. These two agents help alleviate depression and stimulate feelings of well being.
Phenylethylanmine (PEA) controls our ability to focus attention and stay alert. It has also been indicated as an integral element in maintaining mental alertness and countering the onset of dementia.
Another healthy chemical compound found in healthy dark chocolate, 2% - 3% per mass, is 'theobromine.
This health promoting compound stimulates the central nervous system, relaxing smooth muscles and dilating blood vessels. It is also a known diuretic, and has been clinically used to remove excess body fluids, stimulate the heart, and reduce high blood pressure.
Chocolate has been known as the "comfort" or "happy" food, and rightfully so.
Anandamide, a neurotransmitter, is found in significant quantities in cocoa. Anandamide occurs naturally in the brain, and is released when we are feeling good. The introduction of more of this 'bliss chemical' helps contribute to our feeling of having a 'natural high'.
ABC news reported in 2005 that the average American consumes 11.5 pounds of chocolate per year. This amounts to a full 1% of the American diet. These numbers are really not surprising.
There is no question that humans have for centuries maintained a love affair with chocolate. Accepting organic, healthy dark chocolate as a heart and mind healthy food instead of simply a feel good snack certainly takes some getting used to.
Can you envision a conversation at the dinner table like this ... "Billy, you're not leaving this table until you finish your dark chocolate"?
Although that situation seems strange, providing yourself and your loved ones with a consistent diet rich in healthy nutrients does not, and organic dark chocolate may clearly be indicated as a wise menu addition.
However, not all "Healthy Dark Chocolate" products are created equal. The challenge now lies in determining which of these delicious, satisfying, cocoa rich products provide the most health benefits for you and your family.
The author lives in beautiful Hilo, Hawaii, USA, and has published a number of articles related to Internet Marketing and Business Opportunities. For more information regarding Healthy Chocolate, download the author's FREE ebook, "Healthy Dark Chocolate For Life"
Other health articles
Recipe for Raw Dark Chocolate Bars
Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate
Cocoa Increases Blood Flow to the Brain
How Much Antioxidants Does Our Body Need?
Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Sweetened with Xylitol
Recipe For Raw Chocolate Bars
By Mark A Ament
Since 1842, when Cadbury's of England created the first chocolate bar, millions of people have had a love affair with chocolate. It's estimated that the average American eats 4.5 kilos per year and the average Swiss eats 9.5!
Of course the history of chocolate stretches back to ancient Olmec and Aztec civilizations where it was considered to be a "Food of the Gods."
I personally was never a big fan of chocolate, at least not until I started experiencing pure raw cacao. I think the reason is that normal chocolate has literally been cooked to death. To make a typical chocolate bar, cacao beans are crushed, fermented and then roasted at 150 C (300 F) for 1 - 2 hours. After that, they are tempered with boiling water for 20-30 minutes.
When you add processed sugar, milk products, preservatives, artificial colors, chemical flavors and more to this lifeless chocolate substance it's no wonder that some people develop allergies to chocolate. Interestingly, though, I've seen that most people with chocolate allergies, do not have a similar reaction with raw cacao.
Raw cacao has many nutritional benefits and is generally considered one of the most complete foods on the planet.
Since experiencing the effects of raw cacao for myself, I find myself using it often. I regularly add a few whole beans to my smoothies, I use cacao in salad dressings and sauces, and sometimes I just snack a few beans with a bit of agave or honey.
But, thanks to my partner Gabrielle's love of chocolate, I get most of my raw cacao in the form of great tasting raw chocolate bars.
I'm happy to share her basic recipe with you here.
To make this recipe you need a grinder or a mortar and pestle
Ingredients for simple chocolate:
1/2 C whole peeled cacao beans, ground
1/8 C coconut oil
1/8 C melted cacao butter (use coconut oil if not available)
1/4 C raw honey or raw agave syrup
Optional ingredients:
1/4 cup raisins
1 T almonds, finely chopped
1 drop orange, lemon, clove, lavender or other essential oil
Cinnamon to taste
Celtic sea salt to taste
Preparation:
Grind cacao until it is very fine. The cacao will have a consistency like raw almond butter and will stick to the sides of the grinder. Mix ground cacao with coconut oil or cacao butter in grinder. Remove mixture and add honey and other ingredients. Stir well with a fork. The mixture should be able to be poured. If not, add more coconut oil. Pour into ice cube trays or other forms and freeze for 45 minutes. Serve immediately after removing from the freezer.
A Few Interesting Facts About Cacao and Chocolate
The word 'Chocolate' comes from the Aztec word, "cacahuatl" or "xocolatl." This means 'bitter water'.
Raw Cacao was regarded as an aphrodisiac by Aztecs.
In 1624 Johan Franciscus Rauch an Austrian professor, tried to ban chocolate from monasteries and urged monks not to drink chocolate as he said it "inflamed passions."
Cacao contains antioxidants which may help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Cacao brings instant comfort and acts as a mild anti-depressant by increasing our serotonin and endorphin levels.
Cacao contains theobromine, which is a mild relative of caffeine and magnesium. This chemical is found in some tranquilisers. Because coffee also contains caffeine, it both picks you up and calms you down.
Cacao beans were so valuable in ancient Mexico that the Maya and subsequent Aztec and Toltec civilizations used them as a means of currency to pay for commodities and taxes.
The French Leader Napoleon insisted that wine, from the Burgundy vineyard called Chambertin, as well as chocolate be available during military campaigns.
During the Second World War, the U.S. Government commissioned Milton Hershey to create a candy bar to be included in soldier's rations. The candy bar chosen was the famous Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar.
Every Russian and American space voyage has included chocolate bars.
Mark Ament is the author of several books and programs on natural health, including his unique introduction to natural healing course called the "5 Master Keys To Ultimate Healing." To get your free copy and learn more about Mark's work visit http://www.healingvibes.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_A_Ament
Other health articles
Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate
Cocoa Increases Blood Flow to the Brain
How Much Antioxidants Does Our Body Need?
Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Sweetened with Xylitol
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Diabetic Friendly Chocolate Sweetened with Xylitol
Americans love chocolate. In fact, millions of us are admitted "chocoholics." U.S. chocolate consumption is around 3.3 billion pounds per year, according to the National Confectioners Association. That 's nearly 12 pounds for every man, woman and child in the nation.
But for more than 21 million Americans with diabetes, forbidden treats - such as luscious dark chocolate truffles - are not part of a healthy diet. Many of us believe that sinfully sweet indulgences must be unhealthy, especially for diabetics. Or are they?
The good news is that recent clinical studies show some types of chocolates actually have significant health benefits. Dark chocolates, particularly those made with minimal processing, are high in flavonoids, which are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are known to gobble up free radicals - the killer compounds that harm cell membranes, damage the heart, attack DNA, cause aging, and make heart attacks and cancer far more likely.
It may surprise you to know that dark chocolate actually has more antioxidants per gram than red wine, green tea, peanuts, cranberries, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables that also are rich in antioxidants.
One independent study led by Claudio Ferri and researchers at the University of L'Aquila in Italy found that consuming dark chocolate not only lowers blood pressure and cholesterol as some prior studies suggest, but also improves the body 's processing of sugar - and in theory, guards against diabetes. Jeffrey B. Blumberg of Tufts University, who collaborated on the study, says "the new finding suggests that specific flavonoids have beneficial effects on several measures of health."
Dark chocolate contains more flavonoids and less saturated fat than milk chocolate. Cocoa powder and baking chocolate contain even more flavonoids than dark chocolate, while white chocolate has none. The flavonoids in chocolate, by the way, are called flavanols.
Ferri and his colleagues included dark chocolate bars in the diets of 10 volunteers with high blood pressure, and gave 10 others white chocolate bars with no flavanols. The subjects weren't obese, and none gained a significant amount of weight during the five-week study. The volunteers who consumed dark chocolate bars reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while those given white chocolate experienced no change.
In addition, the dark chocolate group demonstrated accelerated metabolism of blood sugar (glucose), a process that involves the hormone insulin. Impaired insulin function can lead to diabetes. Dark chocolate also lowered cholesterol in hypertensive patients, the researchers reported.
Additional benefits associated with dark chocolate in other studies include improved flexibility of the arteries, which can contribute to lower blood pressure, and reduced stickiness of clot-forming blood platelets, which may reduce the risk of strokes and other problems.
Another study, at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, tested the effects of dark chocolate vs. white chocolate on artery hardening and heart disease in smokers. The study 's authors concluded that "...only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake and beneficially affect vascular health."
Another study done at the University Hospital of Cologne and published in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate was "associated with a lowering of blood pressure, without weight gain or other adverse effects."
"Chocolate is a very remarkable substance with enormously beneficial health properties," says Keith Scott-Mumby, MD, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in diet and nutrition who formulated The Doctor 's Chocolate. His delicious dark chocolate truffles, made with the finest unaltered Swiss dark chocolate and red raspberries, contain zero trans fats and very low total fat. Sweetened by Xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is recognized by the FDA as very safe, each truffle has only 20 calories. "It 's totally safe for diabetics," Dr. Scott-Mumby says.
About the Author
Jan Hrkach is an advocate of health, you are what you eat. Exercise and eating right make a big difference in our daily lives and creates a better you. http://www.thedoctorschocolate.com/
Article Source: Content for Reprint
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is gaining popularity these days because of its antioxidant content. The darker(more cocoa solids) the more flavonoids it contains.
A research was done comparing the blood pressure levels of dark chocolate eaters and white chocolate eaters. After several weeks, the blood pressure of dark chocolate eaters dropped while the latter maintained its blood pressure.
That's good news as far as blood pressure is concerned but the research was made on a daily intake of a chocolate portion containing only 30 calories. It's roughly one small square of chocolate from a bar. That's the safe amount to bring out the benefits of dark chocolate as far as antioxidants are concerned. Larger servings would elevate the intake of sugars, calories and fats which may not be beneficial for the health.
When choosing a dark chocolate, opt for the one containing at least 70% cocoa solids for it contains more antioxidants. Limit your intake though because the antioxidant benefits may be offset by the effects of high sugar, calorie and fats that chocolate also contains.
A research was done comparing the blood pressure levels of dark chocolate eaters and white chocolate eaters. After several weeks, the blood pressure of dark chocolate eaters dropped while the latter maintained its blood pressure.
That's good news as far as blood pressure is concerned but the research was made on a daily intake of a chocolate portion containing only 30 calories. It's roughly one small square of chocolate from a bar. That's the safe amount to bring out the benefits of dark chocolate as far as antioxidants are concerned. Larger servings would elevate the intake of sugars, calories and fats which may not be beneficial for the health.
When choosing a dark chocolate, opt for the one containing at least 70% cocoa solids for it contains more antioxidants. Limit your intake though because the antioxidant benefits may be offset by the effects of high sugar, calorie and fats that chocolate also contains.
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