Listen Up Chocolate Lovers...!
1. A happier heart
Scientists at the Harvard University School of Public Health recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the foundation for chocolate—and found it does seem to boost heart health, according to an article in the European journal Nutrition and Metabolism.
“Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow, less platelet stickiness and clotting, and improved bad cholesterol,” says Mary B. Engler, PhD, a chocolate researcher and director of the Cardiovascular and Genomics Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing. These benefits are the result of cocoa’s antioxidant chemicals known as flavonoids, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation.
2. Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help. Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University, recently found that hypertensive people who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for 2 weeks saw their blood pressure drop significantly, according to an article in the journal Hypertension. Their bad cholesterol dropped, too. People who ate the same amount of white chocolate? Nothing. (It doesn’t have any cocoa—or flavonoids.) Word to the wise: 3.5 ounces is roughly equal to a big bar of baking chocolate, so the participants had to cut about 400 calories out of their daily diets to make room. But you probably don’t have to go to those lengths. Just a bite may do you good, Blumberg says.
3. Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout. In a small study at Indiana University, elite cyclists who drank chocolate milk between workouts scored better on fatigue and endurance tests than those who had some sports drinks. Yoo-hoo!
4. TLC for your skin
German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special extra-flavonoid-enriched cocoa every day. After 3 months, the women’s skin was moister, smoother, and less scaly and red when exposed to ultraviolet light. The researchers think the flavonoids, which absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
5. Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but preliminary research at West Virginia’s Wheeling Jesuit University suggests chocolate may boost your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain. Chocolate companies found comparable gains in similar research on healthy young women and on elderly people.
6. Good loving (maybe)
Italian researchers wanted to know whether chocolate truly is an aphrodisiac. In a survey of 143 women published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, those who ate chocolate every day seemed to have more sex drive, better lubrication, and an easier time reaching orgasm. Pass the Godiva, right? Not so fast. The women who ate chocolate were all younger than the ones who didn’t; it was age and not chocolate that made the difference. Still, if a double-chocolate raspberry truffle puts you in the mood, why let science get in the way?
And you thought you were going to have a crappy day eh? Run out there and get yourself some chocolate before anyone can talk you out of it! Unless of course you are allergic to it...then disregard what I have posted. This good news brought to you by WebMD...Labels: chocolate for what ails you
Chocolate is a weakness and I have refrained from it for 2 weeks until this post.
I wasn't aware it was an aphrodisiac but since I know it now, I'm heading for the candy store.
Posted by
Larry |
11:33 AM
Hey, hand over all the Chocolate and no one gets hurt. Oh, and all the peanut butter goodies also.
Posted by
BBC |
1:40 PM
Larry...I'm right behind you!
BBC...the men in this household love peanut butter and chocolate. Baskin Robbins has a rich ice cream of that mix if you are inclined and have the money to afford it...heh!
Posted by
sumo |
2:00 PM
Ever get something in your mind and you can't get rid of it?
Today it is chocolate and the benefits thereof.
Posted by
Larry |
3:11 PM
Aphrodisiac?? That's it! My husband is about to be on a strict, chocolate only diet!
I adore chocolate! I prefer mine with salt though. I can't eat chips without it and can't eat the chocolate without the chips. And yes, I have the butt to prove it. ;o)
Posted by
Ziem |
4:03 PM
It's OK and all, but I've never seen the intense fascination.
I guess that's why I never get any of those benefits you mention. Just call me weird.
Posted by
Omnipotent Poobah |
6:43 PM
Does Bailey's count? ;) If so, I'm good for all night! lol
Posted by
John Good |
6:59 PM
I have just had my two squares of Lindt 70% dark and I feel better already. Seriously, I have two squares a day of quality dark chocolate. I don't really know if it will make me live any longer but it will make the wait a bit more bearable.
Posted by
fallenmonk |
7:19 PM
I'm a chocoholic and have been all my life.
I use to buy 10 bars of Hershey's when they were 10 cents each and eat about 6 of them right away.
I would save the other 4 for about a day and than gouge the rest. Of course I then had to go back to the store for more.
Lately though I haven't been buying any chocolate, however I do buy the chocolate sugar wafers so I guess I'm still eating a lot of the good stuff.
Recently I had heard that they wanted to change the emulsion used to solidify the chocolate so they would not need to use refrigerated trucks for transporting it.
I swore if Hershey did this I would never buy another bar of their chocolate, because it wouldn't really be chocolate anymore.
Thanks for the very informative post. I always knew I had good taste and your posts now proves it.
God Bless.
Posted by
Anon-Paranoid |
8:27 PM
As I eat my little chocolate bucket parfait from KFC...thanks for the good news!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Peace,
Anj
Posted by
Progressive Texas Chicano |
9:01 PM
KFC has a Bucket parfait ???WHAT ???where??? oh, i really shouldn 't....but....it has been a long week..and it's only tuesday...thank you for blogging on this...wow..it will make the whole week better...I had no idea of all these Medicinal effects....
Posted by
enigma4ever |
10:26 PM
Chocolate can kill. Larger amounts of chocolate, particularly of the most toxic type, can bring about epileptic seizures in some dogs, and in all dogs, can kill.
Chocolate contains theobromine. A naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean, theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine
that is poisonous to dogs.
What's in a name and what is chocolate? And can cheaper vegetable oils can be substituted for what many consider the very quintessence of every block, bar and square of chocolate: cocoa butter.
In Europe, the cocoa butter vs. vegetable oil fight took 30 years to resolve. In the United States, it's been less than a year since the first volley. Hundreds of chocoholics have joined the fray, the outcome of which could in turn affect the livelihoods of millions of cocoa farmers in Africa and South America.
It all began in October, when a dozen industry groups filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration seeking to amend the standards that guide how nearly 300 foods can be produced, from canned cherries to evaporated milk.
Posted by
earlbo |
11:12 PM
Larry...I feel your chocolate pain!
Ziem...when you said you had the butt to prove it...I nearly spewed my root beer!
Poobie...you have to let yourself go free like the wind...the Omnipotent One can enjoy a sinful thing now and again...right?
John...I declare that Bailey's counts...you are a master...sigh...
Monk...I agree...it will make life more bearable...especially in the future...I think we all have to horde chocolate just to get through to 2008...and perhaps Iran...
Anon...that's some serious Hershey bar consumption there bucko! Maybe it's because I am getting older...but the Hershey chocolate changed in taste to me about 10 years ago. Oh...I still eat it...but somehow it isn't the same. I hope it's just my taste buds and not that they changed it. Businesses just won't leave well enough alone...they have to mess with their products until they change them...and people don't want their damn chocolate to change!
Hey PTC! Glad to see you here sir! Chocolate bucket parfait? Hmmm, it must be good if you are indulging in it...
Enigma...hold on girl...you'll have a chocolate stroke! Not a bad way to go eh? Heh!
Earl...always the practical one with all the bits about any subject. Sometimes I think I blog just to see what interesting thing you put in the comments...heh! Yeah...I saw that chocolate thing with the oil that they were trying to do...but I think the public uproar was too much for most of them...I do believe plenty of them backed down. And rightfully so if people are going to boycott your product! I think I go make some English Toffee tomorrow.
Posted by
sumo |
1:51 AM
lol. did you know that chocolate was banned in switzerland for many years. read this
Posted by
s.j.simon |
11:08 AM
Thanks for dropping by and the information. Was very interesting!
Posted by
sumo |
5:15 PM