Health benefits of chocolate
Are you feeling guilty about eating too much chocolate over Easter? Don't be too hard on yourself. Several studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually be good for you.
The Spanish conquistadors first brought cocoa back to Europe in the 19th century when it was most commonly sweetened and consumed as a drink. Since then our love affair with chocolate has continued to grow, with an estimated 11kg being eaten by each person in the UK annually. However, whilst in the US and Europe chocolate is prized as a sugary snack, indigenous tribes in Central and South America have long valued cocoa for its medicinal properties.
Little was known in the West about the health benefits of chocolate until fairly recently. A number of studies published in medical journals in the UK and US have all concluded that eating chocolate can be good for your health. Research points to the fact that cocoa contains flavonoids, a group of plant compounds known to have powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants work to fight free radicals within the body, molecules which can damage cells and contribute to the development of degenerative and age-related diseases such as cancer and strokes.
Consumption of coca flavonoids has also been linked with reduced levels of cardiovascular disease. Cocoa flavonoids are thought to help prevent cardiovascular disease by inhibiting the oxidation of LDL or `bad´ cholesterol, helping to prevent small blood cells or platelets from sticking together and causing blood clots and by improving vascular tone.
Other dietary sources of flavonoids include fruit and vegetables, tea and red wine. But whilst we are regularly encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables, health professionals rarely advise us to consume more chocolate. If the studies are right, should we all eating slabs of chocolate washed-down with copious quantities of red wine?
Unfortunately not. Much of the cocoa flavonoids in the chocolate we consume are destroyed long before the product reaches the supermarket shelves. Heat processing in the manufacturing process removes between a quarter and half of all flavonoids originally present in mass produced chocolate. Milk and white chocolate also contains high levels of sugar and fat, contributory factors in serious health problems such as obesity and tooth decay.
All the studies undertaken so far have highlighted that regular consumption of dark chocolate can be good for you, provided it is eaten in small quantities and as part of a healthy, varied diet. Eating milk and white chocolate is unlikely to improve your health either, as for chocolate to impart any health benefits it should contain at least 70% cocoa solids. As well as having higher levels of antioxidant flavonoids, high quality dark chocolate also contains valuable nutrients such as selenium, magnesium and calcium.
Whilst all of this is good news for chocolate-lovers, if you are serious about improving your health there are other steps you can take which will have a greater impact. Changing your lifestyle to incorporate more physical exercise, lowering your blood pressure and controlling your weight will do more good than eating dark chocolate alone.
If you are concerned about the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or indeed any other medical condition, taking out private medical insurance can give additional peace of mind. The Healthcare Deposit Account provided by National Friendly offers fast access to private health care in clean, comfortable surroundings. Heart surgery is covered by the terms of the product should it become necessary, as well as consultations with a medical specialist to decide how best to treat a number of conditions.
Other April Articles
Running tips - keep it up
Dreaming of your summer holidays?>
Back to Friendly Forum >
Other monthly articles>