The Healing Power of Chocolate
What food helps fight heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type2 diabetes? Chocolate! High powered healing never tasted so good. Chocolate is derived from the cocoa bean. Beans are removed from their pods, fermented, dried, roasted, and then made into a cocoa mass or cocoa liquor. Technically known as Theobroma Cacao, cocoa has been used by indigenous tribes in South and Central America for thousands of years. The tribes have used it to fight parasites, heal snakebites, and as a general antiseptic. What is it that makes chocolate so irresistible? A large part of chocolate’s allure, of course, lies in the taste—a deliciously rich concoction that satisfies the most intense craving. But several chemical reactions are also at work. For one thing, chocolate stimulates the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the "runner’s high" a jogger feels after running several miles. Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter, serotonin, that acts as an antidepressant. Other substances, such as theobromine and phenylethylamine, have a stimulating effect. However, the truth is that scientists are still not positive how the over three hundred chemicals contained in chocolate make us feel so good. Research from the University of California, Davis shows that eating dark chocolate boosts oxidation levels. Chocolate contains flavonoids, which are part of the group of antioxidants found in tea, red wine, and various fruits and vegetables. Increased levels of flavonoids lowers the risks of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Eating dark chocolate also decreases LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidation and thus reduces the risks of blood clots, lowers blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the arteries.
There are two different kinds of flavonoids called catechin and epicatechins. Catechins, which have recently been found to be abundant in cocoa, could also help prevent heart disease and possibly cancer, as well as boosting the immune system. Dark chocolate has also been found to contain more than three times the amount of catechins as that found in tea. Chocolate is also a good source of copper and magnesium, which helps to regulate heartbeat and blood pressure
Of course eating large amounts of chocolate is still bad for you and could cause weight gain. But, taken in smaller quantities, it could prove to be very beneficial to your health. It all depends on the quantity and the type of chocolate that you are eating. There have been many different studies showing the possible effects of chocolate consumption on groups of participants.
One such study by the Associated Press entitled ‘Study: Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure’ printed on August 27, 2003 which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association included 13 adults with treated mild hypertension. Each of them ate 3ounce chocolate bars every day for two weeks. Half of them received white chocolate while the other half got dark chocolate. Blood pressure was shown to be relatively unchanged for those who ate the white chocolate, but the dark chocolate eaters’ blood pressure showed changes. Their systolic blood pressure dropped an average of five points and their diastolic reading dropped an average of nearly two points. In another study conducted at Pennsylvania State University, a group of participants, split into two groups, ate the same low fat diet except for one of the groups got a chocolate bar and the other group received a high carb snack. The groups later switched snacks. Total blood cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels didn’t vary with either snack. But, increases in HDL ("good") cholesterol and reductions in triglycerides (a heartrisky type of blood fat) were found in the people eating chocolate. However, it is important to note that these health benefits are derived from eating dark chocolates that have a high percentage of cocoa content. Even more beneficial to one’s health is to eat cocoa in the crudest format possible. One ounce of dark chocolate a day or seven ounces per week provides the needed antioxidants. Dark chocolate, known as "bittersweet" or "semisweet" chocolates are best. These chocolates have a higher percentage of cocoa and little or no added sugar. The darker the chocolate, the more flavonoids are in the chocolate. And of course, people who want to add some chocolate to their diet need to subtract an equivalent amount of calories by cutting back on other foods to avoid weight gain. So, got high blood pressure? Treat yourself to a truffle. Worried about heart disease? Bite into a bonbon. It’s the best medical news in ages: You can maintain a healthy diet that includes chocolate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Karen Kim is the Editor of the Healing Arts Guide. In addition to her work for the Guide, her articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Spa Finder Magazine, and The Village Voice taking that extra time and care to bring out the intense and indulgent flavor that has become the trademark
