Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 It is also higher in fat content. dark chocolate, with 70 percent cocoa or more, also known as bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, contains little or no added sugar and is made from cocoa butter, which has a neutral or even beneficial effect on cholesterol. dark chocolate is also made without the use of hydrogenated or partially hydro-genated oils, which have a negative impact on cholesterol.
Dark chocolate decreases LDL cholesterol oxidation, reduces the risk of blood clots, increases blood flow in arteries, and may even lower blood pressure. |
| This benefit is only found in dark chocolate, however. Milk chocolate binds to the antioxidants in chocolate and makes them unavailable. It is also higher in fat content. dark chocolate, with 70 percent cocoa or more, also known as bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, contains little or no added sugar and is made from cocoa butter, which has a neutral or even beneficial effect on cholesterol. dark chocolate is also made without the use of hydrogenated or partially hydro-genated oils, which have a negative impact on cholesterol. |
Dr. Steven R. Gundry
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 That's why only very dark chocolate, as indicated by 70 percent or more cocoa content, has a beneficial effect. Raw cocoa beans and non-Dutch processed cocoa also contain these polyphenols. You can add them to coffee to make mocha or even vegetable smoothies, stir-fries, and sauces. The ancient elixir of the Incas and Aztecs, mole sauce, was based on cocoa. Or try my recipes for dark cocoa smoothies and chocolate ice cream using raw cocoa nibs mixed with dark chocolate. Yum! |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 In one Italian study, dark chocolate was shown to lower blood pressure, and the reason may well be that flavanol-rich cocoa actually supports the body's ability to synthesize nitric oxide. In another study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was reported that dark chocolate not only decreased blood pressure but also improved insulin sensitivity in healthy people!
Eating the Right Kind of Chocolate Is Key
But here's the thing: This endorsement of chocolate comes with a very big qualification. I am not talking about commercial chocolate bars. |
| But if you can handle it and don't have any medical condition that would prevent you from being able to enjoy it, then having a small—remember, I'm talking small—amount of dark chocolate a couple of times a week is a great idea. My friend the well-known cardiologist and nutritionist Dr. Steve Sinatra has gone on record as saying that even cardiac patients can enjoy dark chocolate regularly in moderation, if they're not sensitive to caffeine. |
Andreas Moritz
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 According to the editors of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN), flavonoid-rich dark chocolate may improve artery flexibility while increasing an antioxidant that may help prevent blood clots. Whereas this is likely, and may be true, the problem with the study is that it didn't include a control (placebo) group. So there was no one to compare to. Besides, the common chocolate you buy in stores doesn't improve artery flexibility—it's the flavonoids in dark chocolate and raw cocoa beans that have this effect. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 Good plant cholesterol in foods like the spread Benecol or Take Control helps your arterial health by displacing the lousy cholesterol in your arteries.
þ dark chocolate. Recent studies show that eating dark chocolate may lower blood pressure as effectively as the most common antihypertensive medications and may increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. Interesting fact: The Kuna Indians, who live on islands near Panama, have little age-related hypertension. They drink more than five cups of flavonoid-rich cocoa a day.
YOU Tip: Get Your Clothes Wet. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 HEART HEALTH: Several human studies have shown that flavonoid-rich dark chocolate improves endothelial function and reduces LDL
("bad") cholesterol, lowering the risk for heart disease. Studies have shown that adding chocolate to one's diet lowers blood pressure as compared to people who do not eat chocolate.
DIABETES: A human study found that the flavonols in dark chocolate increased nitric oxide in the subjects tested, which improved insulin sensitivity and blood flow and lowered blood pressure. |
Andreas Moritz
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| The proclaimed health benefits of chocolate can, however, only be applied to fermented, roasted cocoa beans and the more expensive dark chocolate with mostly natural and healthy ingredients.
Dark chocolate, which has a strong bitter taste, has shown the same blood-thinning benefits as aspirin, but without the harmful side effects and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Regular chocolate has never shown any health benefits, but lots of harmful side effects, including weight gain and obesity.
4. |
Wendy Bazilian, DRPH, MA, RD, Steven Pratt, MD, Kathy Matthews
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 V4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder V4 cup butter, softened
% cup applesauce 4 teaspoons honey
2 large eggs, beaten
% teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vz cup dark chocolate chips
V3 cup regular oats
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in the butter. Add the applesauce, honey, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cream together until the dough is well mixed. Add the chips and oats. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 The bar you're looking for is called Theo Venezuela Limited Edition dark chocolate Bar 91%, and you can grab details at http://www.theochocolate.com/products/
Enjoy all the chocolate, folks! Although you can't really eat your way to happiness, these chocolate superfood bars are the next best thing. Just remember: Enjoy your chocolate, but don't forget to balance your diet with other nutritious items, too.
If you order from any of the companies mentioned here, tell 'em you read about them on NewsTarget!
Full disclosure: Neither Mike Adams nor NewsTarget. |
James Dowd and Diane Stafford
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 Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate.
?Eat natural, unsalted nut butter or freshly ground peanuts instead of commercial peanut butter.
?Make chili with lean, ground round (or turkey breast), fewer beans, and no-salt-added canned tomatoes. Top with cilantro and guacamole instead of cheese.
Unfortunately, some foods are impossible to "healthy up." Examples are processed meats such as hot dogs and cheese dips. Eat these bad boys no more than two or three times a year; July Fourth, the Super Bowl, and a free pass. |
Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe
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 Essentially, there are three processes, to result in three different products: (1) cocoa powder; (2) dark chocolate; (3) milk chocolate.26 We have already seen that cocoa powder is manufactured by removing most of the cocoa butter by hydraulic presses, but this may also be done by solvents; the resulting cake is then pulverized, after which sugar is added through a cooking procedure. Alkalization can be applied to the cacao nibs, to the liquor, or to the cake. |
Wendy Bazilian, DRPH, MA, RD, Steven Pratt, MD, Kathy Matthews
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| One ounce is '/V'xS'/V'xl'/V'—Scharffen Berger® makes a 1-ounce bar and 4-5 small Lindt® Excellence Minis (P'xlV/s") = 1 ounce ef V/%—2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips—mixed into your homemade trail mix (nuts and dried fruit) baggies for the week (see SuperFoodsRx Snack list, page 214) OR melted and used for dipping with some fresh strawberries!
2-3 regular forkfuls (modest really) of a restaurant dessert—aim for something with real fruit in it.
Tip to remember: First bite is taste, second bite is for flavor, and the third is for pleasure and savoring and then you're done. |
Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe
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| Nonetheless, quality dark chocolate probably is good for you. The ancient Maya certainly must have thought so: their royal rulers consumed vast quantities of it in their banquets, and archaeology has proved that they were in better health and lived far longer than their chocolate-deprived subjects!
These explorations of the contents of chocolate are best summed up with phrases involving the word "unknown. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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| DIABETES: A human study found that the flavonols in dark chocolate increased nitric oxide in the subjects tested, which improved insulin sensitivity and blood flow and lowered blood pressure.
COUGHS: A team of researchers discovered that theobromine, a derivative found in cocoa, is nearly a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs when compared with codeine, currently considered the best cough medicine. The use of theobromine as a cough suppressant is still being investigated. |
Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe
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| Care should be taken that they do not have access to dark chocolate in any form.
What about chocolate and antioxidants, a subject which has been much in the news? Chocolate contains antioxidant flavonoid phenolics, which prevent it from going rancid. In this and certain other plant foods (such as many leafy vegetables, tea, and red wine), these antioxidants help prevent the oxidation of LDS ("bad") cholesterol; when the latter becomes oxidized, it can cause atherosclerosis—gradual blocking of the arteries—by increasing the ability of the blood platelets to form clots. |
| It is true that cacao butter is mostly saturated fat, but this largely consists of stearic triglycerides, which have been shown to have no effect on blood cholesterol levels; there is no direct link between chocolate consumption and the development of heart disease. dark chocolate does not cause diabetes, dental caries, or acne, or produce headaches, as sometimes has been alleged. As for obesity among so-called "chocoholics," this would probably be the result of overindulgence in milk chocolate, which has high levels of sugar, in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. |
| First of all, the good news is that dark chocolate "does no harm," to use the Hippocratic phrase - at least to humans. It has very little caffeine: in a typical fine chocolate bar with at least 50 percent "cocoa solids," and weighing 100 grams (3.5 oz), there is no more of this alkaloid than in an average cup of American-style coffee. |
| For milk chocolate, the basic steps are much the same as for dark chocolate, with the addition of milk from which most of the water has been removed. In Hershey's factory, his Cuban sugar was ground into a snow-white powder, and the milk from his farms was reduced to a creamy paste; these were then put together with chocolate liquor into the melangeurs for mixing. |
Wendy Bazilian, DRPH, MA, RD, Steven Pratt, MD, Kathy Matthews
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| I The primary and guiding focus is healthy
: SuperFoods and their sidekicks but any
• food that's eaten in an appropriate i amount—which is just a little if it's a bit i of dark chocolate and a generous bowl
• if it's a luscious green salad—is fine. : What if you're at a party or special
: occasion and you overdo it with, say,
• cake or chicken wings? Well, you just dust yourself off and get back on the plan. Maybe you'll be motivated to get in some extra walking. Or maybe, if you're on the FlexPlan, you'll forgo one or two of your options. But it's really nothing to make a major issue of. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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| SELECTION AND STORAGE:
• Chocolate comes in a variety of forms such as cocoa powder; dark chocolate, also known as "bittersweet"; milk chocolate; and baking chocolate. White chocolate is not chocolate.
• Avoid purchasing chocolate that has a grayish tone, white spots on the surface, or small holes.
• Chocolate will keep for several months at room temperature of refrigerated or frozen.
PREPARATION AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
• When melting chocolate, be careful to keep its temperature under 120° F (49° C), because overheating will alter its flavor. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Paul's company also has a dark chocolate raw food bar that's worth looking into...)
Transition Nutrition (www.TransitionNutrition.com) has introduced an incredibly delicious new Bliss Mix superfood mix made of raw cashews, goji berries, mulberries, macadamia nuts and other goodies. These aren't just commodity items, however: These are premium, organic fruits and nuts, and you can clearly taste the difference. I dare say it's the most delicious raw fruit-n-nut mix I've ever tasted. I actually bought a four-pound package and lugged it around all day just so I could eat some on the drive home. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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| It is also a rich source of the antioxidant theobromine. Many dark chocolate products with a high percentage (seventy percent) of cocoa contain more of these type of antioxidants, but that is not always a guarantee. Processing of cocoa can cause substantial losses so look for cocoa products that boast of its flavonol content. Cocoa also contains some caffeine. An eight-ounce serving of cocoa provides not more than 5 to 10 mg of caffeine, less than the amount found in coffee, black tea, and cola, which typically ranges anywhere from 20 to 120 mg. |
| Effect of dark chocolate on arterial function in healthy individuals. Am J Hypertens. 2005 Jun;18(6):785-791.
Cilantro/Coriander http://whatscookingamerica.net/cilantro.htm
Chithra V, Leelamma S. Coriandrum sativum changes the levels of lipid peroxides and activity of antioxidant enzymes in experimental animals. Indian J Biochem Biophys. 1999Feb;36(l):59-61.
Chithra V, Leelamma S. Hypolipidemic effect of coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum): mechanism of action. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 1997;51(2):167-172.
Delaquis PJ, Stanich K, Girard B et al. |
Marshall Editions
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 Green tea: The daily consumption of green tea can help to decrease inflammation and pain in rheumatoid arthritis, primarily through the actions of its compounds, called polyphenols, which are similar to the compounds in red wine and dark chocolate. Three to four cups of green tea a day can help with symptoms; decaffeinated tea should work just as well. You can also take green tea extracts standardized to the polyphenol percentage. These standardized extracts should be taken as directed on the label. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| A variety of flavonoids found in dark chocolate made with at least 70 percent pure cocoa (just don't overdo it, because chocolate is high in calories).
þ Turmeric and curcumin, spices found in Indian and curried foods. Mustard also contains turmeric and can reduce Apo E4 levels.
YOU Tip: Go with the Flow. Your blood feeds your brain nutrients. No nutrients, no brain. No brain, no Super Bowl party this year. So one of your big goals should be to keep your arteries clear and flowing (details in the next chapter). |
| Since terone a day with the highest blood level in the NQ ,eve|s drop wjth artery hardenjngj ^ a morning and the lowest level in the evening good idea to consume flavonoids in the (which helps explain why the first thing some form of dark chocolate, as well as black tea, men want in the morning is neither coffee nor a dark grape juice, and wine. shower). Science has yet to explain why the levels rise and fall at these times, but it may be related to action of the brain's pituitary gland. |
| Recent studies show that eating dark chocolate may lower blood pressure as effectively as the most common antihypertensive medications and may increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. Interesting fact: The Kuna Indians, who live on islands near Panama, have little age-related hypertension. They drink more than five cups of flavonoid-rich cocoa a day.
YOU Tip: Get Your Clothes Wet. We may not like to see sweat on treadmills or public speakers, but we want to see it on you. |
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