Since giving chocolates on Valentines Day to significant others and friends is so popular, I decided to give you guys some insight on chocolate and its benefits.
Effects on Health
Chocolate in moderation
can actually be beneficial to you. There is something in chocolate
that helps protect your cardiovascular system. That something is cocoa beans. They are
rich in natural antioxidants called flavonoids.
In plants,
flavonoids help protect from
environmental toxins and help repair damage. In humans, antioxidants help
the body's cells resist damage caused by normal bodily processes and from
environmental contaminants like smoke. An increase in damage from either of
these can cause bad cholesterol in your blood to form plaque on the artery
walls.
Flavanols are the
main type of flavonoid found in cocoa beans. It can lower blood pressure,
improving blood flow to the brain and heart and help lower bad cholesterol.
Are all types of chocolate
healthy?
Before you
get temped to buy up a ton of chocolate candy bars or slices of chocolate cake,
it’s important to know that not all chocolates contain high levels of
flavanols.
Cocoa by
itself naturally has a very strong, bitter taste, which comes from the
flavanols. When cocoa is processed (through fermentation, alkalizing, roasting,
etc.) into chocolate products, it loses this taste and ultimately reducing
flavanol levels. As you can tell, most commercial chocolates are highly processed.
Most people think that dark chocolate contained high levels of flavanols, but
that all depends on how much it as been processed. Still, dark chocolate is the
better option over milk chocolate. Cocoa powder is another good option as long
as it hasn’t gone through treatment with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity.
On the
bright side, most chocolate manufacturers are looking for ways to keep the
flavanols in their processed chocolates. Here is a list of companies that are trying
to provide better options.
CocoXan
• http://www.xanconfections.com
Attune
Probiotics Chocolate Bars
• http://www.attunefoods.com
The texture and taste
of their chocolate were great according to reviews. They also come in
familiar varieties like chocolate crisp, chocolate almond, chocolate mint, and
just plain chocolate.
Gnosis
Chocolates
• http://www.gnosischocolate.com
Options include
Low-glycemic, vegan and organic. The chocolate named “Simplicity” contains only
four ingredients: cacao, agave nectar, vanilla bean and blue-green algae.
-Just a thought from Dev.
Hill
Reasources:
1.) http://www.livestrong.com/article/514529-healthy-options-for-chocolate-lovers-in-grocery-stores/
2.) http://spryliving.com/articles/the-new-healthy-chocolate/
3.) http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx
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