the health benefits of dark chocolate

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death . Flavonoids reduce the platelet activation and thus reduce the risk of death . Flavanoids which are found in dark chocolate - in the cocoa plant - may protect health and inhibit cardiovascular deaths . Thirty volunteers were given milk , dark , or white chocolate in a study . Both white and milk chocolate had no effect in reducing the risk of death , while dark chocolate reduced the platelet function . Details can be found in URL http /www .blackwellpublishing .com /isth2003 /abstract .asp ?id 10185 Dark chocolate has gotten

a bad rap , almost since its inception . When people consider cardiovascular strength and fitness , chocolate is probably one of the last things considered when developing a health-conscious diet regimen . Then , if we pair dark chocolate consumption with empowering the heart , we 'd be waiting for the punch line . Dark chocolate and a good healthy heart , however , are friendly connections . Here 's why : Chocolate , specifically dark chocolate has received kudos from scientific research that correlates dark chocolate as a health component of your diet . There are many types of chocolate so the benefits depend almost entirely on what kind of chocolate that you eat . A little dark-chocolate-research will lead you into the realm that softens the sweet-tooth- desire and results in a better heart and cardiovascular well-being CHOCOLATE CHOICES

Dr . Joseph Mercola , author of findings of the benefits of eating chocolate , brought skepticism . This skepticism might be most people 's initial reaction . Plus , the research came from a chocolate company , so Dr . Mercola nearly laughed at its credibility . The conflict of interest was too obvious . But his skepticism couldn 't be further from the truth

In just the past seven years , the number of independent confirmations of dark chocolate health benefits has greatly increased . These confirmations , according to Dr . Mercola , appeared to constitute the fact that there indeed are health rewards from eating small amounts of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate . Further data on this can be retrieved from the URL : HYPERLINK "http /www .mercola .com /blog /2006 /jan /20 www .mercola .com /blog /2006 /jan /20

Careful reflection on these findings helps to clear the picture a bit further . Chocolate stems from the cacao bean . Trying to ingest pure cacao will lead you to spit it out . It is very bitter . The missing ingredient , sugar , needs to be filtered in before chocolate can be regarded as such a luxury dessert

As an aside : When shopping for dark chocolate keep in mind that many of the popular , processed brands readily available in markets and grocery stores are often contaminated with large amounts of lead

Just as in most undertakings in life , moderation is the key . Dark chocolate consumption , when ingested in small amounts can actually be very good for you . Dr . Mercola wrote , It is important to keep in mind , however , that you can derive a majority of the benefits chocolate provides (via flavonols ) by consuming fruits like blueberries , apples and grapes , and most all vegetables , including broccoli , greens and onions . This...