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Food of the Gods
There are thousands of herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Unfortunately cacao is not yet one of them. Never the less, cacao has been proven to have a variety of heath enhancing properties.
Chocolate has been called many things including "food of the gods". In fact that is what its Latin name, Theobroma cacao, means. Lately, chocolate is being called a health food. More and more research has been proving what many of us have intuited all along which is that chocolate is in fact good for you.
Cacao has been cultivated and consumed in Equatorial regions of South and Central America for over 2,500 years. It was the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez who brought cacao to Europe in the early 1500's. He described it's as a "divine drink which builds up stamina and fights fatigue". However it wasn't until 1848 that the first chocolate bar was produced.
There are at least five benefits that have been attributed to dark chocolate. Many of the benefits are a result of cocoa's abundance of polyphenols, chemicals which have potent antioxidant as well as other benefits.
One significant benefit is the ability to relieve hypertension by stimulating the production of nitric oxide (NO) which helps blood vessels relax and thereby lowers blood pressure.
Another benefit is that, believe it or not, it actually helps improve glucose tolerance in healthy men and women. I am not encouraging diabetics to eat more chocolate but research shows dark chocolate improves markers of insulin sensitivity.
The flavanols in chocolate has been shown to have an anti–inflammatory effect. They do this by reducing levels of 5–lipoxygenase (5–LO) which is an enzyme that triggers the inflammatory response. By lowering levels of 5–LO in our tissues, pain and allergic reactions are dampened.
Chocolate, ever popular on Valentines Day, has been proven to have a variety of heart healthy effects which we all can love. Nitric oxide (NO) besides lowering blood pressure also helps prevent arterial spasms and platelet aggregation both of which impair blood circulation. Dark chocolate is actually the food that is highest in oxygen radical absorbency capacity (ORAC). It is this antioxidant ability that protects the cells that line our arteries from damage where plaque (i.e. cholesterol) gets deposited. Dark chocolate also appears to have a positive effect on HDL (the good cholesterol) without raising LDL (the bad cholesterol).
Finally, it's a no brainer that eating chocolate makes us happy. Science tells us this is due to the tryptophan and phenylethylamine, both of which raise levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that increase sensations of pleasure and well–being.
So there you have it, five good reasons to enjoy the 'food of the gods', but before you run down to the corner for a case of Hershey Bars please remember that dark chocolate, preferably bars that contain 70% or more cacao are highest in the phytochemicals that bestow the health benefits. Milk chocolate has less of these natural substances that are good for you. White chocolate is a worthless imitator. Don't forget, moderation is important. As with all good things too much (sugar and fat) is not a good thing. A reasonable daily dose would be 50 grams (about 1.75 oz.). Enjoy!
© 2007 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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