Friday, December 21, 2012
Chocolate
11:42 AM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
You
might have heard the good news: the powers that be have decided that chocolate
is good for us. Those of us who have a relationship with chocolate couldn't be
more pleased. It turns out that humans have included chocolate in their diets
for thousands of years, and not just for dessert. The Aztecs, Maya, and Olmecs
knew of the healing properties of cacao, and consumed a drink made of cacao
seeds.
Like
most fruits, the cacao seed is full of antioxidants. These healing properties
are derived from cocoa flavanols, the plant-based nutrients in cocoa which have
been intensely studied for their health benefits.
Chocolate
contains the same flavonoids found in red wine and tea. Flavonoids are potent
antioxidants and have been linked to numerous health benefits. Surprisingly,
chocolate has these antioxidants in even higher concentrations. One bar of dark
chocolate has twice the flavanol content of a glass of red wine and seven times
the amount as green tea. Most of these benefits have to do with their Oxygen
Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). The ORAC is a measure of the ability of
foods to neutralize harmful free radicals. Free radicals are associated with
many diseases such as Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, arthritis,
cataracts, cancer and more. Chocolate is a concentrated source of
antioxidants—other fruits and even vegetables don't come close. Prunes are in
second place behind chocolate at 5,770 ORAC units per gram, but dark chocolate
has 13,120 ORAC units per gram!
How Much is Too Much?
It is best to think about the antioxidant content as you look at the percentage on the label of a chocolate bar - essentially, the higher the percentage of cocoa the better. Dark chocolate has the highest amount of cocoa and less sugar. Currently, most sources say about 6.3 grams of dark chocolate (one square inch) per day is sufficient for a tasty antioxidant boost.
It is best to think about the antioxidant content as you look at the percentage on the label of a chocolate bar - essentially, the higher the percentage of cocoa the better. Dark chocolate has the highest amount of cocoa and less sugar. Currently, most sources say about 6.3 grams of dark chocolate (one square inch) per day is sufficient for a tasty antioxidant boost.
Happy
Holidays Everyone!
Nancy
Silva, ND
Faculty,
Health Sciences Dept
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2 comments:
Wow!!! Never knew that this plant have lots of benefits. I have seen this fruit and I thought it was just an ordinary fruit. By getting to know this, I wanna try it out.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is also a fabulous choice!
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