Several studies have found that in small amounts, dark chocolate in particular can help prevent the blood from clumping up, keep the heart healthy and even provide some anti-cancer benefits. Scientist’s caution that chocolate is far from being a cure-all, of course. Chocolate is produced from the seeds of the cacao tree, in South America. The nibs at the hearts of the seeds are ground and liquefied into the pure chocolate form, chocolate liquor. The liquor can be separated into its two components, cocoa solids that are the nonfat components and cocoa butter the fatty parts. Chocolate comes in numerous forms, the form depends on the relative amounts of cocoa solids and butter, as well as how much sugar and milk are added. Unsweetened, or baking chocolate is pure chocolate liquor, dark chocolate has a little fat and sugar added in; milk chocolate, has milk added in on top of the fat and sugar, white chocolate has only the cocoa butter, and sometimes not even that, with vegetable oils added instead, in which case it isn’t exactly chocolate. The less sugar and milk in the chocolate, the more bitter it tastes. With that bitter taste comes with some possible health benefits. Studies have shown that dark chocolate has particular antioxidants called polyphenols that could help fight chronic inflammation of tissues in the circulatory system, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. One study demonstrates that people who ate a moderate amount of dark chocolate daily, about 6.7 grams, or about the same amount of 1.5 Hershey kisses, though these are milk chocolate had lower levels of a protein associated with inflammation. Other studies have shown that chocolate makes blood platelets less likely to clump together into dangerous blood vessel-blocking clots by reducing their stickiness. Recent research has suggested that these antioxidants help reduce the chances of developing cancer because they combat the cell damage that can lead to tumor growth. Dark chocolate is also more filling than milk chocolate, according to new research by scientists at the University of Copenhagen, proposing that it could reduce your cravings for other snacks or sweets. Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps reduce your risk of stroke. Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love. Phenyl ethylamine encourages your brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110829/chocolate-good-for-the-heart
My dad has a piece of dark chocolate a night because it is very healthy and provides him with many health benefits. Your blog was neat for me to read because I now understand all the good that comes from my dad consuming this chocolate. I wonder if it in the future more people will focus on eating chocolate when trying to improve their lifestyle and make it a bit healthier, after all who doesn’t love a piece of chocolate.
You also mentioned white chocolate in your blog post. I’ve always wondered if it was actually chocolate. As it turns out, it’s not! It doesn’t contain chocolate liquor or cocoa solids, which are the two significant ingredients in chocolate. It does, however, like you said, contain cocoa butter. It is also produced just as regular chocolate is. Here’s a link to learn more about white chocolate: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-white-chocolate.htm
I am a huge chocolate lover. I actually used to only eat milk chocolate, then converted to dark chocolate after learning the health content between the two. Although I am a big sweets person, I always try to go toward the more bitter dark chocolates because, as you said, they are healthier for you. “Green & Black” chocolate company apparently produces the healthiest dark chocolate. Check it out: http://www.livestrong.com/article/272646-the-best-brands-of-chocolate-to-eat-as-an-antioxidant/
What an interesting blog post! As an avid lover of chocolate, I really enjoyed reading about how it can be healthy. It has been proven that chocolate truly can improve one’s mood. It is so interesting how it boosts serotonin in the brain, which is essentially what antidepressants aim to do. Here is an interesting article that further explores the impact of chocolate on one’s mood: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/26/health/upwave-food-mood/