Chocolate Good for the Heart??

YellowJacket

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Which Chocolate Is Healthiest for Heart?

Not All Chocolate Is Created Equal; Dark Is Best

By Jeanie Lerche Davis


Jan. 31, 2003 -- Our favorite food group -- chocolate -- has received a blessing from the nation's nutritionists. A review of recent studies finds, indeed, that dark chocolate is good for your heart. Researchers say the flavonoids in cocoa and chocolate can lower your risk of heart disease.


The main ingredient of both chocolate and cocoa, cocoa butter, has plenty of saturated fat, but the remaining fat may make up for some -- or possibly all -- the negatives, say the researchers.


Unsaturated fatty acids found in cocoa butter are full of flavonoids, nutrients that have been reported to decrease LDL "bad" cholesterol, thereby reducing risk of heart disease, writes researcher Francene M. Steinberg, PhD, RD, in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Dark chocolates offer the best health benefits, with high concentrations of heart-healthy flavonoids.

"Cocoa contains the same nutrients found in other plant foods, including minerals and specific antioxidants that help ward off diseases such as heart disease," says registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Althea Zanecosky, in a news release.


"In addition, oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil, makes up one-third of the fat in chocolate and has been shown to be beneficial for heart health," says Zanecosky.

Chocolate's heart-improvement record dates back to 17th century Europe, when it was praised for its healing powers. "They believed that chocolate 'comforted the liver, aided in digestion and made one happy and strong,'" she says.

Chocolate was also used for stimulating the kidneys and treating anemia, tuberculosis, fever and gout, Zanecosky adds. "It was also viewed as a way to strengthen the heart and relieve heart pain."

Best to keep your chocolate intake moderate, she points out. Healthy eating means incorporating a wide range of phytochemical-rich foods including fruits and vegetables, teas, and red wine.
 

scotty2

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Does it say anywhere how good it is for the waistline?;)
 

YellowJacket

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Does it say anywhere how good it is for the waistline?;)
No...but it should have!

(Wonder how many people read this and went out and ate 2lbs of dark chocolate and repeatedly told themselves "Im doing this for my heart, Im doing this for my heart..." )
 

scotty2

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No...but it should have!

(Wonder how many people read this and went out and ate 2lbs of dark chocolate and repeatedly told themselves "Im doing this for my heart, Im doing this for my heart..." )
Uh Oh, you mean I shouldn't have.......*puts down reese's*
 

msclbldrguy

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No...but it should have!

(Wonder how many people read this and went out and ate 2lbs of dark chocolate and repeatedly told themselves "Im doing this for my heart, Im doing this for my heart..." )
wonder how much Hershey's had to pay for this study? heh ;)

they put out somethin like this then wanna ban proh..go figure

I think we've all seen studies where it shows kids are gettin fatter...then they come out with stuff like this! whats wrong with this picture?
 

Anxed

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sheesh.. you guyz didnt know that eating chocolate and washing it down with a Merlot is better for your heart than jogging? :rolleyes: :D
 

weissmuller

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I could make a pint of sugar water with 2 sticks of butter melted in it have health beneifts by dropping in a multivitamin in, but I still wouldn't reccommend drinking it.

Just another rape of scientific data to support one's desire.
 

DarCSA

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Wow chocolate is good. What next will Coke and Pepsi prevent strokes?
 

Andy2k

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Really dark chocolate is definitely the best - best taste best everything. Most people don't eat it because they actually want the sugar and fat, not the chocolate.
Get someone who really likes milk chocolate, and give them a single piece of 80% cocoa solids chocolate - kills the craving stone dead.
Better for the waist line because you don't eat so much of it.
 

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