CHOCOLATE MAKES YOU SMARTER!
Research suggests that the flavonols in dark chocolate increase cerebral blood flow, which then create blood vessels and brain cells. And a new study showed that older adults performed better on cognitive tests after eating small portions of the sweet stuff. CHOCOLATE AND YOU HEART!
Flavonol-rich cocoa and chocolate act similarly to low-dose aspirin in promoting healthy blood flow. Reducing the blood’s ability to clot also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with those who didn’t regularly consume chocolate. Lead study author Dr. Carl Keen cautioned that his team isn’t suggesting that people eat a couple of candy bars instead of taking their daily dose of aspirin. “We’re not advocating that people consume flavonol-rich foods in place of aspirin,” stressed Keen, who is also the University of California-Davis nutrition department chairman. For people who cannot take aspirin, however, he said eating flavonol-rich foods “may be a useful approach.”
CHOCOLATE FIGHTS CAVITIES!
New research shows a compound in chocolate — theobromine — may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. Keep in mind that alot of commercial brands of chocolate have tons of added sugar. Opt for dark organic chocolate and check the sugar content before consuming.
ANTIOXIDANTS IN CHOCOLATE
Cornell University food scientists found that cocoa has nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea. Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides, and that include many held to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free radicals.
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
Indulge in chocolate up to three times a month and you may just live longer! Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that those who eat chocolate and sweets up to three times each month live almost a year longer than those who eat too much or those who steer clear of junk altogether.