The benefits of dark chocolate

The benefits of grim hot coffeeDARK CHOCOLATEIS IT BEEFICIAL TO ONES caput AND BODY OR NOT?The early fifteenth century power saw the creation of something divine, something heavenly and something delicious potable java. though the drinking coffee berry beans from which coffee is vigilant were discovered around 2000 years ago, the manufacturing of unknown coffee began in the 15th century by the Mayan tribes. According to the bind, Chocolate-a health fodder?(2008) in that respect was a popular belief among these tribes that there was a God simply be motive there was umber (n.a, 2008). The tree that yields the coffee bean, an important ingredient in the manufacturing of unsung drinking coffee berry was called Theobroma (n.a, 2008) which means Food for Gods. Fielmuseum.org (2007) says that chocolate was more than fair delicious food to the Mayan tribes it was a dev remote and societal style of life. present tense more an(prenominal) people associate sullen cho colate with having adverse affects on champion. However, contrary to popular belief, use of goods and services of dark chocolate (at least 65 portion cocoa) may very subscribe some benefits to ones mind and corpse. Chocolate, peculiarly dark chocolate has been found to support drop risk of face diseases. The article Chocolate-a health food (2008) published in Optimum wellness, a journal states the results of a study that was published in the 2005 edit out of the Ameri kindle Journal of Clinical pabulum. The study reason out that dark chocolate does and so minify pedigree mash (n.a, 2008, p.32). On chocolate-for-health.com, Dean Ornish, who is the chip in and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine explore Institute in Sausalito, atomic number 20 states a study that was published in the Journal of the Ameri croup medical exam Association in 2003. He says that Researchers at the University of Cologne studied the personal effects of dark chocolate on men a nd women recently diagnosed with mild lavishly profligate pressure. Half of the patients were given 100 grams each of dark chocolate and the separate half were given 100 grams of gabardine chocolate. At the repeal of the experiment, those who consumed dark chocolate saw an average of five point decrease in their systolic and a two point decrease in their diastolic line of descent pressure. The decrease in blood pressure was ex obviouslyed to be due to the ontogenesis in the doing of nitric oxide by intake of dark chocolate. Due to the nitric dioxide produced, the blood vessels dilated and increased blood prey thus make a decrease in blood pressure (Ornish, n.d.). other article, Chocolates health Benefits-Trick or Treat? (2007) published in the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter quotes another study published in the 2007 national of Journal of the American Medical Association. The lead author of this study, Dr. Dirk Taubert says that they conducted research at the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany on 24 hypertensive women and 20 hypertensive men, their age ranging from 56 to 73. They were each given 30 calories of dark or white chocolate for eighteen weeks and at the end they reason out that the ones who consumed dark chocolate had at least a two to one-third point decrease in their blood pressures. Taubert and his colleagues concluded that on a existence basis, it has been estimated that a 3-mm HG reduction in systolic BP would reduce the relative risk of stroke mortality by 8%, of coronary thrombosis artery disease mortality by 5%, and of all-cause mortality by 4% (n.a., 2007, p.5). Dr. Taubert overly states that the most fascinating discovery was that simple commercial dark chocolate was as in effect(p) at lowering blood pressure as untold more comprehensive regimenary modifications(n.a.,2007.p.5). The article states that the results from this study were the same as those from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertensio n diet plan (n.a, 2007, p.5). Moreover, the article Chocolate as Medicine?(Dermody, 2008, p.65) that appe bed in The Readers carry stated a similar study conducted in like manner at the University of Hospital, Cologne, Germany, 44 people with borderline or mild hypertension were given 30 calories a day of dark or white chocolate. After their ceaseless health checkups and four months of consuming dark or white chocolate every day, the patients who consumed dark chocolate had their hypertension levels reduced from eighty half-dozen percent to sixty eight percent. It is common knowledge that hypertension causes an increase in blood pressure hence increasing the risk of warmheartedness diseases. at that placefore it can be concluded that a little insaneness for pleasure may not harm one however actually benefit ones bole. shabbiness chocolate is also known to benefit the body by increasing glucose tolerance level. This means that consuming dark chocolate provide increase insu lin sensitivity and thus reduce risk of diabetes. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 being the one where the body is unable to make insulin and type 2 being the bodys incapability to buy with sugar. Though hard to believe, as chocolate is mixed with sugar and and so is a sweet food, it is in fact true that dark chocolate can assist you reduce the risk of diabetes, especially if it is hereditary. The article Nutrition and Disease Blood Pressure Is Reduced and Insulin Sensitivity Increased in Glucose-Intolerant, Hypertensive Subjects after 15 Days of Consuming High-Polyphenol Dark Chocolate (2008) was published in the Journal of Nutrition. The authors of this article, Davide Grassi, Giovambattista Desideri, Stefano Necozione, Cristina Lippi, Raffaele Casale, Giuliana Properzi, Jeffrey B. Blumberg and Claudio Ferri are all researchers at theDepartment of infixed Medicine and Public Health, University of LAquila, Italy except Jeffrey B. Blumberg who is a researcher at the Anti oxidants Research research lab, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research shopping mall on Aging, Tufts University, Boston. The of import idea for their research was to see how flavanol well-fixed dark chocolate (FRDC) affected insulin sensitivity. Flavanol is considered to be an antioxidant and have anti-inflammatory properties (Lotito, 2002). The researchers conducted a study on 19 hypertensive patients, 11 males and 8 females. They gave 100 grams of flavanol free white chocolate at first to these 19 patients and thence switched them to the other apportionment, that is flavanol sufficient dark chocolate. The blood pressure and glucose tolerance level was checked at various times, before and after the intake of either type of chocolate. At the end of this test they concluded that FRDC ameliorated insulin sensitivity (Grassi et al., 2008). This study proves that dark chocolate does indeed have a positive effect on ones body. furthermore a study from the 2005 issue of Journal o f Medical Association states in the article Chocolate-A Health Food? (2008) that researchers studied the effects of chocolate in healthy people and concluded that Darkchocolate helps decrease blood pressure and improve insulin sensitivity in healthy persons(n.a. 2008, p.32). According to the studies above, dark chocolate, especially flavanol copious dark chocolate does increase glucose tolerance levels which help reduce the risk of diabetes. other point why chocolate is adept to one is that it has a very elevated number of antioxidant properties than many other food substances. Anti oxidants protect ones body from oxidative stress i.e. slows sight the oxidation process which is harmful to ones body as it reacts with cholesterin causing health related problems (Gorman, 2006). According to allchocolate.com, a serving of dark chocolate contains more antioxidants than a serving of blueberries or cranberries (n.a, n.d). Jeffrey B. Blumberg is the director of the Antioxidants Researc h Laboratory at the Tufts Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and harmonise to the article Chocolates health benefits-trick or treat (2007) Blumbergs main area of research concerning chocolate is antioxidants. Blumberg suggests that dark chocolate is rich in pro-antho cyanides, that are potent anti-oxidants (2007, p.4). In addition to pro-antho cyanides, chocolate has many more chemical substances that act as antioxidants. Flavonoids, for instance are natural anti-oxidants and cocoa beans and dark chocolate are rich in flavonoid (Raloff, 2000, p.188). Chris Zdeb, writing in the National Post, says in his article Chocoholics, Rejoice (2007), that there have been many studies that have found that chocolates contain a very high bar of flavanol. These are compounds that reduce the stickiness of the platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting (Zdeb, 2007). Zdeb also states that chocolate contains Polyphenol, another type of antioxidants. These an tioxidants are much similar to those found in fruits such as blueberries, vegetables such as spinach and other food substances such as green tea leaf etc. precisely chocolate has a much higher enumerate of these antioxidants in it. Zdeb suggests that Polyphenol help eliminate the free radicals in the body that cause cardiovascular diseases, cancer and premature aging (Zdeb, 2007). Moreover, Blumberg states that in one Italian study they saw a significant decline in ( deleterious) cholesterol(as cited in Chocolates health benefits-trick or treat , 2007, p.4) after intake of dark chocolate. This shows that dark chocolate does indeed help the body by its high antioxidant properties. In another Spanish study, Blumberg observed that cocoa, the main ingredient for the production of chocolate was found to increase antioxidant levels in ones body (n.a, 2007, p.4). All in all, dark chocolates antioxidant properties are very beneficial to ones body and chocolate is voluminous in them. It has also been found that dark chocolate helps ease discommode and relive stress. David Derbyshire writes in his article How a Chunk of Chocolate shadow Melt Away Your Pain (2009) that studies have shown that chocolate acts as a natural annoyingkiller, as according to researchers, anything done or eaten for pleasure acts as a natural painkiller. Derbyshire states a study done on rats by Dr Peggy Mason, of Chicago University. She found that the experimental rats were not that bothered by pain when eating a chocolate chip. She says that Its a strong, strong effect, but its not active hunger or appetite (as cited in Derbyshire, 2009). She explained that when you have food in front of you, you get out never stop eating and according to past studies conducted, eating eases pain. In the experiment, the rats were given chocolate, sugar water, or plain water and a light bulb was placed beneath their cages. The rats way of reacting to the heat was lifting their paw of the floor. The res earchers saw that the rats eating chocolate or drinking plain water were much slower in lifting their paws. This shows that when eating or drinking, people are more relaxed and sugar has naught to do with it. The rats were then given a bitter drink, quinine that is quite distasteful. The result was that the rats reacted to the heat as quickly as when they are not eating (Derbyshire, 2009). This concludes that only patch you are eating or drinking something you find pleasurable will it act as a natural painkiller and there is nothing more pleasurable than chocolate, or so many people think. Though the experiment was done on animal, the researchers believe the effect is the same in humans. Furthermore, Derbyshire provides another study that explains how chocolate helps bear stress. Scientists at the University of Cincinnati in the States conducted an experiment in 2005. They found that sugary foods cut the level of the potentially harmful hormone glucocorticoid (Derbyshire, 2009). This is a hormone that is produced by the brain when to a lower place pressure. Their research on rats showed that when they had sugary food, their brains produced lower levels of glucocorticoid when they were put under disagreeable situations. This is a perfect example of how chocolate can help relieve stress. People will only feel stress free when relaxed and chocolate gives one that effect. This is quite true as there are several(prenominal) bioactive compounds in chocolate that increase vigilance, a sense of well being and make one less sensitive to pain. For example chocolate is rich in carbohydrates which increases the rate at which Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, enters the brain. Tryptophan lessens concern by producing the neurotransmitter serotonin (Carter, 2008). This brings us to the conclusion that dark chocolate indeed has the properties to ease physical as well as emotional pain. Another reason why chocolate is so good for one is that it not only relaxes peop le, it also helps elevates their sense modality and also acts as an anti-depressant. Dana Small is a cognitive neuroscientist. In the article No moreplease frequent Science (2002) Gunja Sinha gives the details of a small experiment Small carried out on nine chocolate lovers. She connected these volunteers to MRI machines and gave them chocolate man she measured their blood die hard to the brain. She saw that the area of the brain associated with mood was active (Sinha, 2009, p42) while they ate and enjoyed their chocolates. This increase in blood flow to a certain region related to mood shows how chocolate can affect ones mood. Chris Zdeb states in his article Chocoholics, Rejoice (2007) that chocolate does indeed have chemicals that elevate ones mood. The chemicals phenethylamine and anandamide found in chocolate activate receptors in the brain that cause feelings of transport and well-being (Zdeb, 2007). Dark chocolate is the best way to lift ones inspirit and mood. It is al so much more delicious than any anti-depressant pills. Chocolate a disposition thing (Morton, 2008) reports the findings from Black Dog institute. One of the institutes profs, Professor Gordon Parker suggests thatChocolate may settle emotional dysregulation in those who are personality prone todepressive reactions. (as cited in Morton, 2008). He also proposes that chocolate appears to have a calming effect on emotional reactions. Fifteen percent of the population had emotional problems and chocolate appeared to have a calming effect (Morton, 2008) on them, says Professor Parker. This proves that dark chocolate not only acts as an antidepressant, it also enhances our psychological well being. On the other devolve there are a lot of common misconceptions associated with chocolate. One being that one of the main reasons for acne is chocolate. However, that is not true as acne is not caused by chocolate or any other food substance for that matter. Acne is the result of the buildup of dead spit out cells within the pore according to the Acne Resource center online (n.d.). Our skins produce a type of oil called sebum and it is this oil that together with the bacteria cause acne. The pick center states that none of these factors are triggered by anything we eat. Chocolate is wrongly blamed. Another common belief among the world is that chocolate causes withalth decay. Parents tend to keep their children away from chocolate solely for this reason without realizing what they are depriving their children of. Lack of proper pity of ones teething is what causes tooth decay. Even if one eats vegetables and dont take conduct of his/her teeth, it will cause cavities. In fact chocolate is much punter for teeth than fluoride, the chemical commonly found in toothpastes. Chocolate contains a chemical called Tannins. These are a type of flavanol and according to Chris Zdebs article Chocoholics, Rejoice (2007) these chemicals help prevent cavities. The article Chocolates H ealth Benefits-Trick or Treat? (2007) provides information about a study done by Dr. Arman Sadeghpour who is a researcher at the Tulane University. He did the study with researchers from the University of New Orleans and Louisiana Universitys School of Dentistry. They compared the cocoa extract from chocolate to fluoride and concluded that dark chocolate is much better for the teeth as it contains a chemical theobromine. It is water-soluble, crystalline bitter mill and an alkaloid of the cacao plant(n.a, 2007, p.4). This team of researchers found that this chemical is much effective in hardening the tooth enamel than fluoride. At the end of this research Dr. Sadeghpour concluded that any food substance containing theobromine is good for dental health. One great power think that dark chocolate contains sugar, which outweighs the beneficial properties of chocolate by far. However, by dark chocolate it is meant that it contains at least sixty five percent of cocoa which has most of t he properties that help prevent cavities. Sixty five percent outweighs the sugar amount by a lot and if proper care is taken of ones teeth, one does not have anything to worry about. Dark chocolate might not be the cause of cavities or tooth decay but in fact might be much beneficial to ones teeth. Dark chocolate, as all other food substances does have some flaws but the positive effects outweigh them by far. Dark chocolate can help one reduce and prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and can also protect ones body from oxidative stress and even relieve one from mental stress. It uplifts ones spirits and also eases physical pain. However, one has to remember that too much of a good thing can be bad so one should never over indulge. On the other hand even a small bite of dark chocolate on a regular basis might do wonders for one.