No one who buys my chocolates has ever complained to me that they need to figure out a reason to eat good chocolate. The pleasure of good, quality chocolate is reason enough in itself.
But did you know that there are actually good health reasons to enjoy chocolate on a regular basis? I'm going to collect on this page in the future the latest scientific findings about chocolate and good health.
And if you happen to come across some information about chocolate and health, would you mind
and letting me know? Thanks!
Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier is pleased to announce her new
partnership with Dr. Dave Kiefer of Dr. Dave's Mega-O Truffles. "Dr.
Dave has a great concept: Getting your daily O3 supplement in the form
of dark chocolate truffles... what's not to love?" commented Gail from
her Atwood Avenue kitchen.
Dr. Dave contracts with a Seattle chocolatier and markets his
Mega-O's in the northwest with tremendous success. A Madison native,
Dr. Dave Keifer is thrilled to partner with Gail Ambrosius for the
production of his new vegetarian O-3 truffles. "Dr. Dave's Mega-O's"
are come packaged seven to a box - that's your weekly supply. Pick up
two boxes at a time and you'll always have your daily dose. Current
flavors include Orange and Mint. Watch for more flavors soon!
Chocolate May Help Aging Blood Vessels
CBS News Healthwatch
By Jennifer Warner
Researchers found adults who drank a specially processed cocoa beverage
rich in flavonols for four to six days improved their blood vessel
function, and older adults appeared to benefit the most.
"Aging is typically associated with deterioration in vessel health, specifically
related to function of the critical inner lining, or endothelium," says researcher
Naomi Fisher, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School,
in a news release. "Our findings demonstrate that consumption of this flavonol-rich
cocoa can improve the function of blood vessels in a healthy elderly population."
Flavonols are a class of antioxidants found in plant-based foods and beverages — such
as cocoa, wine, and tea — that have been increasingly linked to...
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Effects: Dark Chocolate: A Fix for Smokers'
Plumbing?
New York Times
Vital Signs
December 27, 2005
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Dark chocolate, but not white chocolate, may improve the ability of smokers'
blood vessels to expand and contract in response to the body's
needs, Swiss researchers have found.
The scientists divided 25 smokers into two groups. One group ate about two ounces
of dark chocolate containing 74 percent cocoa, and the other
consumed two ounces of white chocolate, which contains no cocoa.
The investigators calculated platelet activity and the flexibility of the blood
vessels, two measures of healthy function, in an artery in
the upper arm of each subject. In those who ate dark chocolate....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Chocolate in pregnancy keeps baby happy
Expectant mothers can take heart this Easter. Tucking into chocolate eggs is good for the baby, according to a study of over 300 women - especially if you are feeling a bit on edge.
Katri Raikkonen at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and her colleagues asked pregnant women to rate their stress levels and chocolate consumption.
After the babies were born, they looked for an association between the amount of chocolate their mothers had eaten and the babies' behaviour. Six months after birth, the researchers asked mothers to rate their infants' behaviour in various categories, including fear, soothability, smiling and laughter.
The babies born to women who had been eating chocolate daily during pregnancy were more active and "positively reactive" - a measure that encompasses traits such as smiling and laughter.....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Is Chocolate healthier than green tea?
"Chocolate contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea." Sound too good to be true? In fact, that was the conclusion of a recent study by Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment. Researchers found that chocolate - specifically dark chocolate - contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. (Catechins are the powerful anti-oxidants that help prevent against cancer and heart disease). By contrast, 100 ml of black tea contains a mere 13.9 mg of catechins.
Eating chocolate to stay healthy? Well, why not? Scientists have established that there are important health benefits to be gained from drinking red wine, so why not chocolate as well?.... A cup of green tea with a chocolate biscuit or a piece of dark chocolate sounds like a great way to begin the day!....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
BBC News: Chocolate 'helps blood vessels'
Eating dark chocolate helps blood vessels function more effectively, researchers have claimed.
Writing in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, University of California researchers found a chemical in chocolate helped vessels expand.
Narrowed blood vessels increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diseases linked to poor circulation....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Coughing? Pop a Chocolate
London — An ingredient in chocolate may actually be a more effective cough medicine than traditional remedies, New Scientist reports....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Chocolate's Secret Power
Just 1 oz of dark chocolate packs a big antioxidant wallop
You've read it before: Dark chocolate, the richer in cocoa the better, is not only a to-die-for treat, it's actually good for you. And just 1 oz of a very special chocolate packs more than twice the healthy antioxidant punch of red wine or other dark chocolates.
"Cocoa is rich in antioxidant flavonoids called flavanols, which include procyanidins, epicatechins, and catechins," explains Harold Schmitz, PhD, director of science at Mars, Inc. Studies have shown that people with high blood levels of flavonoids have lower risk of heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Hot cocoa tops red wine and tea in antioxidants; may be healthier choice
There's sweet news about hot cocoa: Researchers at Cornell University have shown that the popular winter beverage contains more antioxidants per cup than a similar serving of red wine or tea and may be a healthier choice.
The study adds to growing evidence of the health benefits of cocoa and points to a tasty alternative in the quest to maintain a diet rich in healthy antioxidants, chemicals that have been shown to fight cancer, heart disease and aging, the researchers say....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
Study Sweet for Chocolate Lovers
Previous research has hinted that chocolate may be healthy, and now a new UCSF-led study will tickle the hearts of chocolate lovers.
School of Nursing researchers on Wednesday (November 20) reported a potential link between cocoa flavanols contained in certain chocolates and improved blood vessel function, which is believed to be an important indicator of cardiovascular health....
(Download a .PDF of this article by clicking here.)
