Healthy Chocolate and Heart Health
Abbas Shareef asked:
By: Chris Robertson
More Americans die each year from heart disease than any other cause, it is the number one killer disease in the US and parts of Europe. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 2,500 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of one death every 35 seconds.
There is a surprising new source of heart support, and more and more medical studies are showing that the incredible effect of raw, cold processed cacao beans, the beans used in healthy chocolate, give tremendous support to the cardiovascular system in various ways.
What Can Cocoa Do For My Heart?
A 2006 study from a joint team of researchers from the University of California-Davis and the University of Dusseldorf in Germany ascertained that the compound epicatechin found in cocoa is directly linked to improved circulation and other hallmarks of cardiovascular function. The researchers explained that the relaxation response observed in the blood vessels of the subjects was mediated by nitric oxide (NO), a key signal released by the inner lining of blood vessels (the endothelium). Because the vessels are able to relax and become less stiff, they are less susceptible to clotting, blockage and risk of high blood pressure. (1)
Cesar G. Fraga of the University of Buenos Aires recently demonstrated a rise of chocolate-derived procyanidins in the blood of men and women who had just eaten cocoa-based foods. His team found that blood sampled two hours after cocoa consumption protected its circulating lipids from oxidation. The more chocolate they ate, the better the protection. (2)
Nutritionist Carl L. Keen of the University of California-Davis says that prostacyclins are naturally occurring compounds that inhibit platelet clotting, reduce risk of thrombosis and blood vessel constriction, and prevent the oxidation of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), as well as its entry into the blood vessel walls, where it can result in inflammation. Keen’s study, published in a 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that the procyanidin and flavonol content of cocoa again demonstrated significant antioxidant properties and the ability to protect the heart and vascular system. (3)
If you have high blood pressure, a daily serving of flavonol-rich dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. (4) “Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods – including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine, and chocolate – might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate’s effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension,” said one of the authors of the study. The findings also prompted the researchers to recommend that flavonoid-rich foods should be part of an overall healthy diet, and dark chocolate should be part of that effort.
The More Cocoa, the Better
When it comes to the health benefits ascribed to chocolate, they’re almost exclusively related to the dark, bittersweet-tasting chocolate and to products with a cocoa content of 60% or more. Because healthy polyphenols are found in the cocoa bean but not in the milk, cream, sugar, waxes, fillers, fats and preservatives that are often added to chocolate, the darker the chocolate the better. It’s also important to preserve chocolate’s antioxidant properties and avoid “Dutch process” and alkalinization. Similarly, because heat can destroy cocoa’s polyphenols, choose cocoa beans that have been cold-pressed.
Beyond those caveats, enjoy chocolate and keep your heart healthy!
(1) Schroeter H, et al. – Epicatechin mediates beneficial effects of flavanol rich cocoa on vascular function in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006 Jan 24;103(4):1024-9
(2) Engler M, et al.Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults. J AM Coll Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):197-204
(3) Keen CL et al. Cocoa antioxidants and cardiovascular health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1Suppl):2985-303S
(4) Baba, S, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):709-17
(Information herein is NOT intended as medical advice. No therapeutic or medical claims are either implied or made. DO NOT ALTER ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT, OR THE USE OF MEDICATIONS, WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YOUR MEDICAL CARE PROVIDER. FDA regulations prohibit the use of therapeutic or medical claims in conjunction with the sale of any product not approved by the FDA.)
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Healthy Chocolate and Heart Health or Majon’s Health and Beauty directory.
www.MyChocolateHeaven.blogspot.com
Kansieo.com
By: Chris Robertson
More Americans die each year from heart disease than any other cause, it is the number one killer disease in the US and parts of Europe. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 2,500 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of one death every 35 seconds.
There is a surprising new source of heart support, and more and more medical studies are showing that the incredible effect of raw, cold processed cacao beans, the beans used in healthy chocolate, give tremendous support to the cardiovascular system in various ways.
What Can Cocoa Do For My Heart?
A 2006 study from a joint team of researchers from the University of California-Davis and the University of Dusseldorf in Germany ascertained that the compound epicatechin found in cocoa is directly linked to improved circulation and other hallmarks of cardiovascular function. The researchers explained that the relaxation response observed in the blood vessels of the subjects was mediated by nitric oxide (NO), a key signal released by the inner lining of blood vessels (the endothelium). Because the vessels are able to relax and become less stiff, they are less susceptible to clotting, blockage and risk of high blood pressure. (1)
Cesar G. Fraga of the University of Buenos Aires recently demonstrated a rise of chocolate-derived procyanidins in the blood of men and women who had just eaten cocoa-based foods. His team found that blood sampled two hours after cocoa consumption protected its circulating lipids from oxidation. The more chocolate they ate, the better the protection. (2)
Nutritionist Carl L. Keen of the University of California-Davis says that prostacyclins are naturally occurring compounds that inhibit platelet clotting, reduce risk of thrombosis and blood vessel constriction, and prevent the oxidation of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), as well as its entry into the blood vessel walls, where it can result in inflammation. Keen’s study, published in a 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that the procyanidin and flavonol content of cocoa again demonstrated significant antioxidant properties and the ability to protect the heart and vascular system. (3)
If you have high blood pressure, a daily serving of flavonol-rich dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. (4) “Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods – including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine, and chocolate – might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate’s effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension,” said one of the authors of the study. The findings also prompted the researchers to recommend that flavonoid-rich foods should be part of an overall healthy diet, and dark chocolate should be part of that effort.
The More Cocoa, the Better
When it comes to the health benefits ascribed to chocolate, they’re almost exclusively related to the dark, bittersweet-tasting chocolate and to products with a cocoa content of 60% or more. Because healthy polyphenols are found in the cocoa bean but not in the milk, cream, sugar, waxes, fillers, fats and preservatives that are often added to chocolate, the darker the chocolate the better. It’s also important to preserve chocolate’s antioxidant properties and avoid “Dutch process” and alkalinization. Similarly, because heat can destroy cocoa’s polyphenols, choose cocoa beans that have been cold-pressed.
Beyond those caveats, enjoy chocolate and keep your heart healthy!
(1) Schroeter H, et al. – Epicatechin mediates beneficial effects of flavanol rich cocoa on vascular function in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006 Jan 24;103(4):1024-9
(2) Engler M, et al.Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults. J AM Coll Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):197-204
(3) Keen CL et al. Cocoa antioxidants and cardiovascular health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1Suppl):2985-303S
(4) Baba, S, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):709-17
(Information herein is NOT intended as medical advice. No therapeutic or medical claims are either implied or made. DO NOT ALTER ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT, OR THE USE OF MEDICATIONS, WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YOUR MEDICAL CARE PROVIDER. FDA regulations prohibit the use of therapeutic or medical claims in conjunction with the sale of any product not approved by the FDA.)
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Healthy Chocolate and Heart Health or Majon’s Health and Beauty directory.
www.MyChocolateHeaven.blogspot.com
Kansieo.com
Dark Chocolate for Heart Health
Richard van Beek asked:
Medical science is actually telling us to eat dark chocolate for heart health. How is this possible? Up until now, we’ve always thought chocolate was bad for us!
It turns out that dark chocolate made from unprocessed cocoa, contains high amounts of flavonoids and phytochemicals. These are antioxidants found in nutritious foods like raisins, prunes, acai berries, and blueberries. Cocoa has from its origin an incredible high amount of these antioxidants and science has found a way by cold pressing the cocoa. And that’s responsible for the benefits of dark chocolate for heart health.
It’s not just hype by the chocolate manufacturers. Here are the results of just four scientific, placebo-controlled studies recently conducted by medical doctors and universities all over the world, to prove that we can eat dark chocolate for heart health without any guilt.
A study by the American College of Cardiology found that blood flow increased significantly in individuals who consumed cocoa for six weeks. They concluded that more studies need to be done to determine how much cocoa makes a difference. This is only one study that supports the idea that it’s okay to eat dark chocolate for heart health.
In another study, forty-five borderline obese but otherwise healthy adults were given either cocoa or a placebo. Doctors measured their blood pressure both before and after, and found that those who ate the dark chocolate had better blood pressure. The benefits of dark chocolate for heart health are immediate.
The Journal of the American Medical Association has said that eating a reasonable amount of dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure enough to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by up to eight percent. When you add dark chocolate for heart health to all the other things you do, like getting enough exercise and eating a careful diet, it makes a difference.
A study conducted at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, looked at men and women with mildly elevated blood pressure. At the end of the study, those who consumed a small amount of healthy dark chocolate every day had lower blood pressure readings. Those who consumed white chocolate showed no change.
If you’re pregnant or know someone who is, keep in mind that blood pressure rises during pregnancy. A little piece of dark chocolate during pregnancy is a good thing, because it can help regulate blood pressure.
Drinking cocoa had the same effect as eating it, opening up a whole world of possibilities. You can get your healthy cocoa in many ways, dark chocolate for heart health is available in drinks, snacks and chunk form.
Dark chocolate for heart health has just one of the many health benefits and perhaps some that we aren’t aware of at this time. The brand and reputation continues to grow with the scientific researches done nowadays. Helping friends and family better their health and improve their way of life can be achieved by eating dark chocolate for heart health.
Caffeinated Content for WordPress
Medical science is actually telling us to eat dark chocolate for heart health. How is this possible? Up until now, we’ve always thought chocolate was bad for us!
It turns out that dark chocolate made from unprocessed cocoa, contains high amounts of flavonoids and phytochemicals. These are antioxidants found in nutritious foods like raisins, prunes, acai berries, and blueberries. Cocoa has from its origin an incredible high amount of these antioxidants and science has found a way by cold pressing the cocoa. And that’s responsible for the benefits of dark chocolate for heart health.
It’s not just hype by the chocolate manufacturers. Here are the results of just four scientific, placebo-controlled studies recently conducted by medical doctors and universities all over the world, to prove that we can eat dark chocolate for heart health without any guilt.
A study by the American College of Cardiology found that blood flow increased significantly in individuals who consumed cocoa for six weeks. They concluded that more studies need to be done to determine how much cocoa makes a difference. This is only one study that supports the idea that it’s okay to eat dark chocolate for heart health.
In another study, forty-five borderline obese but otherwise healthy adults were given either cocoa or a placebo. Doctors measured their blood pressure both before and after, and found that those who ate the dark chocolate had better blood pressure. The benefits of dark chocolate for heart health are immediate.
The Journal of the American Medical Association has said that eating a reasonable amount of dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure enough to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by up to eight percent. When you add dark chocolate for heart health to all the other things you do, like getting enough exercise and eating a careful diet, it makes a difference.
A study conducted at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, looked at men and women with mildly elevated blood pressure. At the end of the study, those who consumed a small amount of healthy dark chocolate every day had lower blood pressure readings. Those who consumed white chocolate showed no change.
If you’re pregnant or know someone who is, keep in mind that blood pressure rises during pregnancy. A little piece of dark chocolate during pregnancy is a good thing, because it can help regulate blood pressure.
Drinking cocoa had the same effect as eating it, opening up a whole world of possibilities. You can get your healthy cocoa in many ways, dark chocolate for heart health is available in drinks, snacks and chunk form.
Dark chocolate for heart health has just one of the many health benefits and perhaps some that we aren’t aware of at this time. The brand and reputation continues to grow with the scientific researches done nowadays. Helping friends and family better their health and improve their way of life can be achieved by eating dark chocolate for heart health.
Caffeinated Content for WordPress
Choose Dark Chocolate for Heart Health
Martin Applebaum asked:
Have you heard of the saying – ‘A dark chocolate a day keeps the doctor away?’ if not, you need to gain a lot of knowledge about dark chocolate. Take a dark chocolate daily is good for the heart as these chocolates are fully loaded with many flavaniods. All you require to do to keep your heart in a healthy state is to eat a small 1.6-ounce bar of dark chocolate for heart health each day. Mary Engler of the University of California, San Francisco, has done the research.
Remember that not every chocolate is created equal. You must know that any standard manufacturing process for chocolate tends to destroy more than half of the flavaniods. However, fortunately, most companies have now learned the art of preparing dark chocolate that would preserve up to 95 per cent of its flavaniods. This is no scam. It is 100% true that you can benefit a lot by eating chocolate now.
This does not mean that you overload yourself with chocolate. Remember that chocolate tends to possess many calories and you definitely need to cut down on somewhere else if you are having a lot of dark chocolate.
There are several benefits of eating dark chocolate. Here are some of these benefits:
· Lowers blood pressure: One of the main benefits of eating dark chocolate is that it tends to lower your blood pressure if it is too high. This has been proved as confirmed by a report by Dirk Jaubert, MD, phd at the University of Cologne in Germany. The report was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, make sure this report does not give you a reason to binge on, as these are many calories in chocolate.
· Presence of antioxidants: When dark chocolate is taken in sufficient quantity, it proves to be a strong antioxidant to the body. This is proved by a report produced by Mauro Serafini, Phd and colleagues of Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome. The issue of Nature published this report. Antioxidants are powerful enough to eat up many free radials, hazardous molecules implicated in heart disease or other health conditions. Remember that in order to benefit from antioxidants you need to eat dark chocolate without milk. People who have dark chocolate daily have higher levels of epicatechin. It is a real healthy compound found commonly in dark chocolate.
· Good heart: As discussed earlier, dark chocolate is rich in flavaniods. This compound’s healthy for the heart. It has also other healthy compounds that help in keeping the heart of individuals who eat dark chocolate in a healthy state.
With so many benefits of dark chocolate, there is no reason that you should stay away from it. All you require to do is to remember that a healthy diet balance is what keeps the heart fit and fine. Binging in will never help you achieve the desired goals. Choose dark chocolate for heart health.
Caffeinated Content for WordPress
Have you heard of the saying – ‘A dark chocolate a day keeps the doctor away?’ if not, you need to gain a lot of knowledge about dark chocolate. Take a dark chocolate daily is good for the heart as these chocolates are fully loaded with many flavaniods. All you require to do to keep your heart in a healthy state is to eat a small 1.6-ounce bar of dark chocolate for heart health each day. Mary Engler of the University of California, San Francisco, has done the research.
Remember that not every chocolate is created equal. You must know that any standard manufacturing process for chocolate tends to destroy more than half of the flavaniods. However, fortunately, most companies have now learned the art of preparing dark chocolate that would preserve up to 95 per cent of its flavaniods. This is no scam. It is 100% true that you can benefit a lot by eating chocolate now.
This does not mean that you overload yourself with chocolate. Remember that chocolate tends to possess many calories and you definitely need to cut down on somewhere else if you are having a lot of dark chocolate.
There are several benefits of eating dark chocolate. Here are some of these benefits:
· Lowers blood pressure: One of the main benefits of eating dark chocolate is that it tends to lower your blood pressure if it is too high. This has been proved as confirmed by a report by Dirk Jaubert, MD, phd at the University of Cologne in Germany. The report was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, make sure this report does not give you a reason to binge on, as these are many calories in chocolate.
· Presence of antioxidants: When dark chocolate is taken in sufficient quantity, it proves to be a strong antioxidant to the body. This is proved by a report produced by Mauro Serafini, Phd and colleagues of Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome. The issue of Nature published this report. Antioxidants are powerful enough to eat up many free radials, hazardous molecules implicated in heart disease or other health conditions. Remember that in order to benefit from antioxidants you need to eat dark chocolate without milk. People who have dark chocolate daily have higher levels of epicatechin. It is a real healthy compound found commonly in dark chocolate.
· Good heart: As discussed earlier, dark chocolate is rich in flavaniods. This compound’s healthy for the heart. It has also other healthy compounds that help in keeping the heart of individuals who eat dark chocolate in a healthy state.
With so many benefits of dark chocolate, there is no reason that you should stay away from it. All you require to do is to remember that a healthy diet balance is what keeps the heart fit and fine. Binging in will never help you achieve the desired goals. Choose dark chocolate for heart health.
Caffeinated Content for WordPress