Just for Fun...

One of our FAVORITE topics,
not to mention favorite foods-
CHOCOLATE!

And what, you may be saying, does chocolate have to do with health?
Well, hold on tight, something good that is good for you, too???
Like many of you, my favorite thing is chocolate, any kind of chocolate-
but dark chocolate is the best! Quite literally, actually…

In fact, while I wouldn't call chocolate a health food, it is a source
of polyphenols, the same type of antioxidant found in red wine.  And
just 1 oz of a very special chocolate packs more than twice the healthy
antioxidant punch of red wine or other dark chocolates.  Also, the fat
in chocolate is stearic acid, which doesn't affect cholesterol levels.

Studies Prove It!
Various studies have shown that people with high blood levels of
flavinoids have lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate
cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes.  My absolute favorite, Dove Dark,
made by Mars, Inc., contains Cocoapro cocoa, a proprietary, specially
processed cocoa that contains super high levels of flavanols--so high
that Dove Dark is actually used in medical research.  Here are the good
things research shows that Cocoapro cocoa can do:

Acts as an antioxidant.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis compared the effects
of 1 1/3 oz of high-flavanol Dove Dark chocolate with the same amount
of low-flavanol dark chocolate on 10 healthy people.  They found that
only the Dove Dark had heart-healthy benefits:  It reduced LDL oxidation
and boosted antioxidant levels and HDL concentrations in the blood.

Other studies have shown that the higher the Cocoapro "dose," the higher
the levels of antioxidants in the blood and the less LDL oxidation.

Keeps blood platelets from clumping together.
In the test tube, Cocoapro cocoa reduces blood clotting; it may also
stabilize arterial plaque, making it less likely to travel and cause
a stroke or heart attack.  This effect is similar to that of aspirin.

Increases blood vessel flexibility.
Unlike aspirin, some of the procyanidins in Cocoapro trigger the produc-
tion of nitric oxide, which helps keep arteries flexible and increases
blood flow.  This connection has potential implications for blood pressure
control.

So go ahead and treat yourself!
While over-indulgence in some luscious dark chocolate, like anything
else, is not the best thing to do, small amounts can be very beneficial!