The next time you really want to indulge in a piece of delectable chocolate, don’t feel guilty – it’s actually good for you! At least in moderate amounts anyway. While it may seem too good to be true, the cocoa bean is actually rich in a class of plant nutrients known as flavonoids which help to protect the plant from environmental toxins and repair damage.
These compounds act as antioxidants which help to protect us from free radicals that can cause damage leading to heart disease, according to Murray A. Mittleman, MD, PhD, Director of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit and a cardiologist in the CardioVascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Mittleman also notes that flavonoids can also relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of certain illness like heart attacks, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Antioxidants are known to help the body’s cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, like breathing, and from environmental contaminants, such as cigarette smoke. If your body isn’t getting enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, damage by free radicals can occur. It can cause LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, for example, to form plaque on artery walls.
A 2009 study out of Stockholm, Sweden, revealed that those who consumed chocolate regularly significantly reduced their risk of dying from heart disease. After a heart attack, patients were followed over an eight-year period, and compared to those who did not eat chocolate, those who ate it once a week reduced their risk of cardiac death by 44 percent, while those who consumed it twice a week or more decreased their risk by 66 percent.
Before you reach for just any old chocolate, there is a caveat: not all forms of chocolate are equal when it comes to flavonols. Cocoa naturally contains a strong, bitter taste, which comes from its flavonols. When it is processed into a chocolate product, it goes through several steps to make it less pungent. The more it is processed, through alkalizing, fermentation or roasting, for example, the more its heart-healthy flavonols are lost.
Most commercial chocolates found at a typical grocery store are highly processed. To derive the benefits, organic dark chocolate is best – and, the darker the better. The darker the chocolate is, the higher its flavonoid content. You should also avoid chocolate with fillings, like carmel, choosing the purest dark chocolate you can find, ideally, with a content of at least 70 percent cocoa solids.
Keep in mind that chocolate typically contains a lot of calories, fat and sugar, so this isn’t an open invitation to indulge in as much as you like – but, eaten in moderation (e.g., one ounce a few times per week) dark chocolate can certainly be a part of a nutritious diet that supports a healthy heart. And, don’t forget about other foods that are rich in flavonoids, like red wine, tea, cranberries and onions.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2009.02088.x/abstract
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273374.php
http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/Health-Notes/Keeping-Your-Heart-Healthy/Living-a-Heart-Healthy-Lifestyle/The-Truth-About-Chocolate-and-Your-Heart.aspx
