Is there any human being who wouldn’t like to drown in the intoxicating taste of chocolate? Though children seem to be more spellbound to it, adults are also no different, whether they admit it or not. Anyway it’s a fact that chocolate has been one of our favorites since centuries. The term ‘chocolate’ is derived from the plant, ‘Theobroma Cacao’ which means “Food for the Gods’.
The health benefits of chocolate
If all this is true, then why did we omit this magic sweet from our diet list? We did it simply because our diet masters found it to be ‘bad’. They declared that chocolate is not good for health and should be avoided if you are keen about your heart and body weight. But there is a scientifically proven fact about chocolate- ‘CHOCOLATE IS A HEALTH FOOD’.
We have been learning since our school days that food sources that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals are essential for our health. If it is so, then chocolate is one such food. A lot of studies have been conducted on chocolate to find out its nutritional value and health benefits. All these clearly point to the fact that chocolate isn’t a name to be avoided from our diet.
Chocolate is rich in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium and amino acids which make it healthy. Antioxidants allow greater absorption of oxygen in the body and help to prevent heart diseases. It has also been studied to combat caner. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants eight times more than what is found in strawberries. It helps to increase the levels of good cholesterol. Chocolate also helps to prevent oxidative stress that can give rise to cardiovascular diseases. Most recent studies reveal that pure chocolate helps to reduce blood pressure and bad cholesterol.
Then which ‘chocolate’ is to be avoided?
What destroys our health is not the chocolate that we are talking about, but the ‘chocolate confectionery’ that is filled with more than 90% of sugar and less than even 10% of real chocolate. You can’t name this confectionery as chocolate but plainly ‘chocolate-coated sugar candy’. Though the taste may be superb, it can make you a diabetic with high cholesterol levels. These candies contain a lot of milk fat and hydrogenated oil that can make you obese. It also increases the risk of heart disorders. Moreover, chocolate that is roasted at a temperature of 100 degrees lose all its antioxidants. If you are chocolate confectionery obsessed, then your health is in real hazard owing to the absence of essential nutrients.
What is real chocolate?
Real or pure chocolate is made of cocoa and contains nothing other than quality chocolate. Dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate and white chocolate. Healthy chocolate doesn’t have refined sugar at all and uses cocoa butter instead of weight increasing milk fats. Whenever you buy a chocolate product, make sure that it contains more than 70% of cocoa. So don’t feel sorry about having good chocolate, though consuming moderately is better. Find delight in real chocolate, the way nature made it.
October 23, 2010 at 5:28 am
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