Chocoholics, Rejoice!
Because I’d like to deliver on my promise of proof that healthy food is not some boring vegetable or supplement, let’s highlight one of the most-loved food items in the world: Chocolate.
Chocolate is a power-food. Yes, it’s loaded in sugar and calories, but it’s has also been found be rich in antioxidants and increase “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels by as much as 10 percent. Chocolate is good for the heart, and not just in the romantic sense.
Depressed? PMS blues? Pains? Some studies suggest that chocolate also lifts up your mood and makes you feel better. Some say it’s is simply an offshoot of the enrgy boost you get from an injection of sugar and fat, but some studies suggest that some of the fatty compounds found in chocolate might be triggering the brain’s production of natural opiates. That’s what accounts for the “high” or pleasure one associates with eating chocolate. Probably the potential addiction, as well.
If you want to attempt self-medication (or should I say self-justification?), get yourself the high-fat, real dark chocolate, which can contain two to three times as much of these compounds per ounce, compared to milk chocolate. Watch the scales, though.
Tags: chocoholic, Chocolate, cholesterol, heart-diseaseRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Healthy Beverages, ~Cardiovascular Health, ~Improves Overall Well-being
4 opinions for Chocoholics, Rejoice!
Eating Fabulous » Chocolate Promotes Cardiovascular Health Among the Elderly
Aug 2, 2006 at 7:17 am
[…] You might not be doing your teeth a favor, but eating chocolates may be good help you remain healthy as you age. There have been numerous studies relating chocolate consumption to cardiovascular health and other maladies, and a new study published in the Journal of Hypertension has demonstrated that drinking cocoa improved several measures of blood vessel function, especially among the elderly. The sudy attributes the improved age-related vessel function in older adults to compounds found in chocolates called flavonols. […]
Eating Fabulous » Sexy Chocolate, Chili-Hot!
Sep 1, 2006 at 3:45 am
[…] The belief (I bet it’s going to be tough to prove it as a fact) that chocolate is an aphrodisiac has been doing the rounds since about 1,500 years ago, among the Mayans and Aztecs in South America. To a certain extent, chocolate does lift up mood by trigerring the release of happiness hormones in the brain, but to say it’s an aphrodisiac is a bit off the mark, a claim that still lacks solid proof. […]
Eating Fabulous » Let Food Be Your Medicine
Oct 5, 2006 at 7:28 am
[…] And no, I’m not solely looking at those traditionally branded as “healthy food” or “nutritious foods”. Heck, some functional foods are not that nutritious, and some will wreck your weight-loss plans. Take a look at my previous posts on chocolate, spiced wines, and even chocolate chip cookes. But they confer medicinal properties, which is what earned them a place in this blog. […]
Eating Fabulous
Jan 11, 2007 at 5:34 am
[…] This blog is just half a year old, with my first post up in July 2006, after which I immediately tried to assuage chocoholics’ guilt. […]
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