As you may have already heard, chocolate can be good for your health, especially for your heart. A growing number of studies have suggested that flavanols, found in cocoa beans, contain antixoidants that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. Flavanols are primarily found in dark chocolate as opposed to milk chocolate or white chocolate. These flavanols also decrease blood pressure and improve vascular function. There are even some studies that show benefits of chocolate in reducing the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart attack.
Note, adding chocolate to your diet should be done in moderation. In addition to the antioxidants, chocolate is rich in fat, sugar and calories which can contribute to weight gain. If you enjoy a chocolate indulgence, choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 65% or higher and limit yourself to 3 oz a day or less.
Hot Chocolate Beats Green Tea and Red Wine!
Did you know that hot cocoa contains more antioxidants than green tea or even red wine. A group of scientists from Cornell University led by Chang Y. (Cy) Lee, chairman of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the university’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, explain the reason for hot cocoa’s health benefits is due to its high amount of flavonoids. In a single serving of cocoa, they discovered 611 milligrams of the phenolic compound gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and 564 milligrams of the flavonoid epicatechin equivalents (ECE). In comparison, a glass of red wine contains only 340 milligrams of GAE and 163 milligrams of ECE. Green tea was found to have 165 milligrams of GAE and 47 milligrams of ECE. Antioxidants help prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease and other illness due to their ability to scavange free-radicals in the body.
Deciding between a chocolate bar or a cup of hot cocoa? Consider the fact that a cup of hot chocolate contains about one third the grams of fat per one cup serving compared to 8 grams of fat in a 40 gram of fat in a standard size chocolate bar. If you’re in Boulder, Colorado, where the temps have been hovering below freezing, you may just want to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa this Valentine’s Day.
Written By: Dr. Julieanne Neal, ND
Source: Lee KW, Kim YJ, et al. “Cocoa Has More Phenolic Phytochemicals and Higher Antioxidant Capacity that Teas and Red Wine.” J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Dec 3;51(25):7292-5.
