Chocolate Lovers Rejoice!

 I have always known, somewhere in my subconscious, that chocolate had to be good for you (or at least I wanted to believe this).  Well, it seems I was right.  The cocoa bean is thought to be the highest antioxidant food in the world (not sure how it compares to NingXia wolfberries). According to David Wolfe, raw food guru, it is also the number one food for your heart as it has the highest natural source of magnesium, iron, manganese, and chromium of any major food group. It is also a tremendous source of phosphorus, zinc, and copper. Unfortunately, when you add sugar, fats and other ingredients and heat the chocolate, you destroy most of these beneficial qualities.  

As I have written about in the past (see post from 8/29/13), raw cacao is the healthiest option for enjoying the benefits of this superfood. Cocoa is a slang word for “cacao”. Chocolate comes from the cacao tree — the cacao bean is actually a nut and is chocolate in its pure, raw form.  Often it is fermented and it comes as nibs, which are pieces or as a powder.  

If you are going to eat chocolate, it is recommended that you eat dark chocolate (70% cocoa) that is organic to receive the following benefits*: 

1. Better brain function due to improved blood flow and better cognitive performance.*
2. Flavanols in chocolate can protect the skin from harmful UV rays (sunburn). The less processed the chocolate, the more flavanols it will contain.*
3. Chocolate is know to help stimulate hormones, especially seratonine and dopamine which help balance emotions.
4. A study with nearly five thousand participants found that those who ate chocolate more than five times a week lowered their risk for heart disease by 42 percent.* (Sign me up for the next study!)
5. An Italian study shows that people who ate a serving of dark chocolate every three days had an average of 27 percent lower C-reactive protein levels in their blood than those who never ate it. C-reactive protein in the blood is a marker for inflammation.*
6. Researchers in Switzerland found that eating 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks can reduce cortisol levels, which helps reduce stress in the body.*

 So what are you waiting for?  Try some dark or raw chocolate (or cacao) and let me know what benefits you experience.  Create a favorite recipe and share it with the rest of us, please...
* INH Health Watch, August 30, 2013