Tag Archive: flavonoids
The Impact Of Dark Chocolate On MS Fatigue
November 27, 2015
Study To Test The Impact Of Dark Chocolate On MS Fatigue
A team of UK experts will research the effect of chocolate in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), as a part of its comprehensive research strategy against the disease.
The United Kingdom's Multiple Sclerosis Society is going to fund scientists from the Oxford Brookes University in order to assess whether fatigue, a very common symptom of MS, can be reduced through the consumption of chocolate.
Eat Chocolate, Build Memory
November 28, 2014
Doctors just announced, at the Scientific Sessions 2014 in Chicago, results of a study linking high consumption of trans fats with poorer memory on word recall tests.
Leader of the experiment, Beatrice Golomb, stated “trans fats were most strongly linked to worse memory in young and middle-aged men during their working and career-building years.”
Now, aside from education and depression, doctors only took two food variables into consideration during this experiment – trans fats, and chocolate.
Chocolate Diets and Chocolate Pills
March 21, 2014
The idea of a chocolate diet seems to have new company. A new study will determine if collecting the nutrients in dark chocolate, minus the fat and sugar, and putting them in a pill, will do any good.
The key part of this study is the ‘flavanol’ that’s abundant in cacao beans. Several studies have shown how it can be beneficial for arterial health, insulin, blood pressure, as well as cholesterol.
The concepts of chocolate diets and chocolate pills may be rather new, but the health benefits of cocoa have been studied and established for quite a while. The flavonoids in cocoa are renowned antioxidants that help keep stroke and heart attacks at bay.
Chocolate Reduces Risk of Stroke
September 14, 2012
It has come to my attention that people have been living and leading healthy lives in the past few years. They have been eating responsibly, stopped smoking and drinking, sleep for plenty of time, and exercise regularly. This is really a good news for people who have been plagued by health-related diseases that restricts them to be the best persons they can be.
In a recent study, researchers have found out that eating a healthy dose of chocolates every week was indeed associated and linked to a reduced rate of stroke incidents particularly in the male-side of the populace. (If you are a lady who loves the men in your life, then the consideration of buying them chocolates is really a good idea.)
Read more
Dark Chocolate for Reducing Cardiac Diseases
June 8, 2012
As a self-proclaimed and a self-confessed chocoholic, I have always been particularly keen about the things I come across on the Internet that talk about my favorite sweet treat. In recent years, there have been many stories about the health benefits that dark chocolates are able to provide.
Recent research brings up a certain metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of many risk factors that include an elevated blood pressure as well as high cholesterol and abdominal obesity. This condition places a person in a position that can lead to diseases like coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many different types of carcinoma or cancer. The participants in the study showed no symptoms of coronary heart disease, and were not takers of any medications that can lower blood pressure.
Read more
Bittersweet and Semisweet Chocolate
May 17, 2012
Bittersweet chocolates are simply a sweetened form of plain chocolate that contains no milk. It is basically a mixture of chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and quite often, vanilla. Plus you might see a substance called lecithin on a label. That is added to serve as an emulsifier.
Cocoa that is produced via the grinding of its beans into a liquid form is usually referred to as chocolate liquor, which ironically contains no alcohol whatsoever. Unsweetened baking chocolate is chocolate liquor that has been solidified.
In the North America, a standard is set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that bittersweet chocolates are required to contain at least thirty-five percent chocolate liquor. While in the United Kingdom, the figure is usually as high as forty-three percent.
Read more
Chocolate and Diabetes
January 17, 2012
If you have gone through the previous blog posts, you’ve probably read about the astonishing nutritional benefits that chocolate has to offer. Recent studies found out that chocolate, because of the flavonoids it contains, are helpful to diabetic women.
But a lot of chocoholics are still not aware about the goodness of these flavonoids. As a matter of fact, according to the experts from the University of East Anglia, females who are suffering from type 2 diabetes can actually avoid certain heart diseases when they adhere to a flavonoid-rich diet.
These useful substances called flavonoids are usually found in berries, tea, and yes, chocolate. In a recent experiment conducted, 93 post-menopausal women who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes took part. Half of the group was asked to consume 2 bars of chocolate loaded with flavonoids everyday, while the other half was given chocolate that only contained placebo.
Read more
Health Benefits of Chocolate
August 26, 2011
Gone are the days when chocolate practically screams “unhealthy”. Today, consumption of chocolate in appropriate amounts can actually be beneficial for you, health-wise. And it goes without saying that you should have the right kind of chocolates in hand, not the ones loaded with sugar and other not-so-healthy stuff.
Contrary to popular belief, eating chocolates can possibly improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and the risk of having diabetes. As strange as it may sound, it is true according to Harvard researchers. This study involved a review of 24 studies and 1,106 participants. And the said health benefits are due to the chocolate’s content called flavonoids which are of highest levels in the dark variants. Like I said, the right kind of chocolates, always keep that in mind.
Read more
Fighting Cancer with Chocolate?
August 18, 2011
If that would be the case, who wouldn’t want to kick cancer’s butt? Here are some interesting tidbits of information to help you realize how good chocolate can be for your health!
Cacao seeds contain Flavonoids (specifically Flavanols) that are chemicals found in plant-based foods that give major health benefits. Over 4,000 flavonoids have been known and almost all of it are found in fruits, vegetables and beverages such as tea, coffee, beer, wine and fruit drinks. Good thing our beloved chocolate is part of the list!
When we eat foods that have flavonoids, it just means that we also take advantage of the antioxidants in it which are believed to help the body fight cell damage. In addition to that, studies say that flavonoids have other helpful influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart, making blood platelets less viscous. Thus, keeping cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels. It also slows down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.
Read more