Eat Chocolate! Not Just Because You Love It - Page 2
"Ample evidence indicates that chocolate may have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. Chocolate consumption has been shown to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in short-term randomized feeding trials (1), and has been demonstrated to improve endothelial and platelet function and to ameliorate insulin resistance (2). Moreover, flavonoids in chocolate possess strong antioxidant activity and can suppress oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol" (3).
In plain English, chocolate contains cocoa whose flavinoids can inhibit the bad cholesterol that causes or is thought to cause cardiovascular disease. Also, chocolate makes your arteries more flexible And that's not the end of it. When you eat dark chocolate, there is the greater likelihood that you are reducing your blood pressure, lowering your insulin resistance and chasing away dangerous blood clots. Well, why not? Let me tell you, in its de-stressing properties, chocolate is a heavenly substance. Why wouldn't it do all this, and more? It tastes sooooo good. My nerves are relaxing just thinking about chocolate, milk or dark
But before you tell family members to switch their gift giving, making it pricey boxes of gourmet chocolates, you will probably have to wait until more research is done to prove that there is a direct correlation between eating chocolate and decreasing strokes. This study is one garden stone along the path to prove that items that taste fantastic don't have to be poisonous or dangerous, but may be beneficial in moderation. And that is key here. Overindulging in chocolate may have a negative effect. There is too much we don't know about this popular and powerful food.
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, is a cardiologist and medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Goldberg is concerned that the findings be viewed in context, in other words with perspective. "These findings don't mean that people need to exchange chocolate for broccoli in their diet."
This is one of a number of reports about the health benefits of chocolate, but it is not conclusive. Chocolate bars have a lot of sugar and fat. Dark chocolate has less. Better to eat the dark. Chocolate also has caffeine. So its total impact depends upon the individual. If one is trying to lose weight or is prone to irregular heartbeats or high blood pressure, eating two or three bars a week might not be a good idea. (Goldberg)
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