For years we've touted the health benefits of food, especially fruits and vegetables. Chocolate? Well, not so straight forward. We all secretly loved it but couldn't swear by it. Indeed people have been made to feel guilty trying to talk about chocolate. It has been seen as a form of self indulgence that people were expected to avoid. Recent findings about chocolate has however confirmed the chocoholics were right afterall. They had an instinctive understanding of body needs.
Discovered centuries ago by the Aztecs during the reign of Emperor Montezuma, cocoa beans were such valuable commodities they were said to have divine qualities, hence the botanic name - Theobroma cacao, food of the gods. They were said to provide great energy and a lot of sexual appeal. The many varied forms of chocolate as we have presently had it's roots from Spain where they added hot water, sugar, vanilla.
Now after many years of denial, chocolate is set to become the food of choice for many health conscious people. Rich in flavanoids and antioxidants, chocolate provides great health benefits for the body, especially the heart. Can chocolate be classified as a super food? Only time will tell. High in energy and rich in carbohydrates, fats, and vegetable proteins, chocolate has large quantities of potassium and magnesium, some calcium and sodium, and vitamins A1, B1, B2, D, and E.
Obviously these benefits are best utilised the more unrefined chocolate is, hence a preference for dark chocolates. The quality of cocoa content is therefore to be taken into consideration when buying chocolate. Just go for proper chocolate and not the one that is dressed up with crusty toffees.
A DOUBLE SERVING OF FLAVANOIDS
Flavonoids are multi coloured plant pigments found in plants and are known to provide protection to our bodies from toxins which the body carries because of food processing. This helps the body's cells to overcome damages caused by free radicals, which is a by product of bodily activities. Some foods rich in flavanoids are apples, red wine, tea, onions and cranberries. What happens when you add chocolate and wine? Watch this video to find out.
