Chocolate is Good for You!

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Chocolate is Good for You!

Did you know that getting a daily dose of dark chocolate may be beneficial to your health? Not only is chocolate the perfect gift for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, it also may benefit your heart. The ingredients in chocolate are not only delicious, but dark chocolate and cocoa powders also contain disease-fighting antioxidants. The key to gaining the most benefits from dark chocolate is to enjoy it in moderation.

According to cnn.com (2000), in addition to antioxidants, one of the fats found in chocolate, called stearic acid, may increase healthy cholesterol (HDL), and make bad cholesterol levels (LDL) less susceptible for oxidation, which leads to clogged arteries. This is the opposite effect one might expect, considering the amount of fat in chocolate. Dark chocolate may also improve blood flow, according to webmd.com (2004). In a study of 27 healthy adults given a cocoa drink with high levels of flavonoids, it was shown that adults over the age of 50 benefited the most. Flavonoids provide protection for plants, and when we consume them, we benefit from their antioxidant power. Antioxidants help the body’s cells resist damage from free radicals (Cleveland Clinic, 2004). The reason for the benefits of cocoa is that it controls the activation of nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme, that keeps blood vessels open allowing the blood to flow.

Flavonoids may also lessen stiffening of the blood vessels, which is a common side-effect of aging (WebMD, 2004). It is to be noted that white and milk chocolate do not have the same effect on the body as dark chocolate. These are unfortunately more likely to expand your waistline than improve health. “Chocoholics” are still at risk for obesity, whic...

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...ust 27). Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate. WebMD.

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Peck, Peggy. (2004, May 20). The Right Kind of Chocolate is Heart Healthy. WebMD.

Retrieved January 31, 2005 from http://my.webmd.com/content/article/

87/99509.htm.

Rauch, Catherine Ann. (2000, February 2). Chocolate: A Heart-Healthy Confection?

CNN. Retrieved on January 29, 2005 from http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/02/chocolate.wmd/.

Somer, Elizabeth. (2001, July 16). Crazy for Chocolate. WebMD. Retrieved January 29,

2005 from http://my.webmd.com/content/article/41/1671_52404.

The Heart Health Benefits of Chocolate Unveiled. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved January

30, 2005 from http://www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/pub/guide/prevention/

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