Most of us love chocolate but did you know that chocolate is actually good for you? New evidence suggests that eating a little chocolate might help ward off artery-blocking, heart attack provoking blood clots. Truth is, there are healthy and unhealthy chocolates and it is important to select those that are heart healthy.
During a recent US survey, researchers discovered that clots formed more slowly in the blood of chocolate lovers than in those who rarely ate chocolate. Some chocolates however are full of sugar and fat. These include chocolate covered marshmallow hearts, chocolate covered cherries and solid milk chocolate hearts and drops. Some commercial chocolate is made with high-fructose corn syrup and this should be avoided if you are health conscious.
The secret is to eat dark chocolate containing a high percentage of cocao bean. The center of the cocao bean is the nib and cocao beans contain chemicals called flavonoids. These are believed to have similar blood thinning effects to aspirin. Dark chocolate, which is lower in sugar and fat than milk chocolate is the healthy way to enjoy that special treat and as an extra bonus, protect your heart.
Research conducted at Tufts University led to a discovery that dark chocolate improves insulin sensitivity. This is great news for those with type 2 diabetes because millions of people take expensive drugs on a daily basis to increase their insulin sensitivity. Besides boosting insulin sensitivity, there is evidence from research that pure dark chocolate may lower blood pressure, improve blood vessel function and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.
According to Dr Janet Bond Brill, author of "Cholesterol Down", "Dark chocolate is the best nutrition news to come out in years".
Dr Joe Vinson, professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, explains: "Flavonoids work as antioxidants to protect us from free radical damage and cocoa consumption lowers your risk of heart disease".
As you grow older, your arteries become less and less flexible, making it hard for blood to flow through them. This raises your blood pressure. The flavonoids in dark chocolate boost levels of nitric acid, keeping your arteries flexible and allowing blood to flow to your vital organs more easily.
A 2003 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, supports this. According to their research, chocolate helped promote healthy blood pressure levels in the subjects studied. Chocolate helps relax blood vessels so blood can flow through them easier.
Like all good things, moderation is the key and premium dark chocolate is the only chocolate that provides the many health benefits. It contains a higher percentage of cocoa than milk chocolate. Avoid the mass produced, highly processed sugary chocolates. "Chocolate is a yummy form of medicine", explains Brill. "But as with any medicine, overdosing can lead to unpleasant side effects".
I love chocolate, but had to severely restrict my consumption of milk chocolate because of congestion problems. Dark chocolate reduces this problem and provides greater health benefits while retaining the delicious chocolate taste. My wife and I enjoy a healthy peppermint tea after our evening meal. Two or three pieces of dark chocolate complement it perfectly.
Chocolate has long been a favorite confection for people of all ages and now this tasty treat is receiving recognition for being good for your heart health as well. Studies have found that dark chocolate contains antioxidants, which help promote a healthy heart by improving the blood flow. This lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
What is an Antioxidant?
Antioxidants remove free radicals from the blood stream. Free radicals are a natural product of blood cells. The world is also filled with environmental toxins that also contribute to their production. There has been research that has discovered that eating dark chocolate lowers the risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure by removing the free radicals and ensuring that the blood can flow more freely through the veins. It is important to note that it is only the dark type of chocolate that has these benefits. Tests run on white and milk chocolate did not show these positive benefits.
What Research Was Done on Chocolate?
A Swiss team of researchers ran tests on 20 volunteers who were smokers. They were given 40 grams of chocolate and were not allowed to eat any other food that was rich in antioxidants like certain vegetables. After 2 hours, there was a marked improvement noted in the volunteers who ate dark chocolate that was made up of 74% cocoa. The improvement noted was in the improved flow of blood through the veins. The research also showed that the chocolate significantly reduced the risk of blockages by half.
How Much Chocolate Should I Eat?
You should try to include a portion of dark chocolate everyday, but before you run out to the grocery store to fill the larder with dark chocolate treats, remember that it also contains a lot of sugar and fat, right along with those antioxidants. Before you add it to your regular diet, decide how much you can safely eat without expanding your waistline. Naturally the more active you are, the more you will burn calories.
This would be true of people who exercise regularly or have jobs that require a lot of physical activity. If you have a sedentary job where you sit at a desk all day, or do not follow a regular exercise plan, than you should lower the portion of chocolate that you eat. If you don't follow an exercise plan, then consider starting one. Exercising three times a week for 30 minutes has also been shown to strengthen the heart. While you are improving your health with chocolate, you can get even greater benefits by including exercise to your regimen.
These new health benefits of dark chocolate will let you please both your heart and your palate.
Both Graeme Lanham & Gregg Hall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Graeme Lanham has sinced written about articles on various topics from Arthritis Signs, Aquarium Fish and Nutrition. Discover more about protecting yourself from heart disease in health researcher Graeme Lanham's new Ebook "Heart Disease Solutions". It outlines in easy to read style all you need to know about protecting your heart. Visit:. Graeme Lanham's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
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