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Chocolate and Heart Health – Fact or Fallacy?
by Nicholas Webb
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if chocolate and heart
health went hand in hand. However, there is so much information lately about the
health benefits of chocolate that it is only natural that people get confused.
It is true, that if people only ate pure cocoa, then there might be
heart health benefits. The problem is that most people eat processed chocolate
bars containing sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, dairy cream not to mention
other “baddies” contained in some of those tasty fillings. Some of these added
ingredients can clog up arteries and create havoc to your waistline.
That said, you might be surprised to find out that chocolate isn’t as bad as it
was once thought. The fat content in chocolate, derived from cocoa butter
contained in premium grade dark chocolate, is comprised of equal amounts of
oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil),
stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated
fat – not so good. Saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol and
risk of developing heart disease.
Research indicates that stearic acid
appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol; neither raising nor lowering
LDL-cholesterol levels. Palmitic acid on the other hand, does affect cholesterol
levels but only comprises one-third of the fat calories in chocolate. Therefore,
if we base our chocolate eating habits on latest research, the fat issue isn’t
so worrying.
Beware milk chocolate may not be so heart healthy.
When we eat milk chocolate or lower grade
chocolate, part of the total fat content comes from milk fat or various
other types of fat contained in the processed chocolate, and not from the
pure cocoa, which do adversely affect cholesterol levels.
Despite all
the good news on cocoa not raising LDL cholesterol, even dark chocolate is a
very calorie-dense food, so while the fat content may not invite heart
disease or clogging of the arteries, its regular consumption will add a lot
of extra calories to someone's daily total. In fact, many chocolate bars
list sugar as the number one ingredient. And as we all know lots of white
refined sugar is not going to help you keep your waistline nice and slim.
Remember obesity is a serious risk factor for developing heart disease.
Concerning cholesterol, new and yet-to-be-published studies are showing that
some antioxidants contained in chocolate, in particular dark chocolate and
cocoa powder, may actually increase "good" (HDL) cholesterol levels by as
much as 10 percent.
In the studies, the selected people ate 22 grams
of cocoa powder and 16 grams of dark chocolate every day The result: Their
"bad" (LDL) cholesterol was less susceptible to oxidation, a process that
normally leads to artery-clogging plaques. While many people take vitamins
and other antioxidants to help prevent plaque development, the study shows
that cocoa could help.
In summary, whether chocolate and heart health
do walk hand in hand is still an open topic, however, in moderation it won’t
do your heart any harm, however, watch those calories. Most of all, enjoy it
cause it tastes so good!
For more information about heart health and
living your life to the full come across and visit
www.allabout-heart-disease.com
Nicholas Webb is the author
and webmaster of the site
www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com that offers user-friendly articles, tips
and advice for avoiding heart disease and living your life to the full!
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