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Dark chocolate (not milk chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk) has recently been found to be a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants remove free radicals from the body -- destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments.
Source
Findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate, and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate.
Function; Reasons For Use
One study found that a substance in cocoa helps the body process nitric oxide (NO), a compound critical for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. Another study showed that flavonols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, and make blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots. Flavonoids are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties; so far, scientists have found more than 4,000 kinds. Cocoa beans contain large quantities of flavonoids, as do red wine, tea, cranberries, peanuts, strawberries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables. The flavonoids in chocolate are called flavonols.
It has been found that dark chocolate generally is higher in flavonoids than milk chocolate. The way that cocoa powder and chocolate syrups are manufactured removes most flavonoids.
Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, if you've reached a certain age and have mild high blood pressure. But you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.
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Chocolate can help with the following: | | | | | Autoimmune | Not recommended for:
 Multiple Sclerosis | Epidemiology studies have documented a correlation between high cocoa consumption and high MS incidence. When cocoa is introduced to an area, MS incidence rises sharply. Cases are reported in which chocolate ingestion by MS patients was followed by exacerbations [Maas AG, Hogenhuis LAH. Multiple sclerosis and possible relationship to cocoa: A hypothesis. Ann Allergy 59: pp.76- 9, 1987] |
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Circulation |
 Hypertension (High Blood PRessure)| | Dark chocolate -- not white chocolate -- lowers high blood pressure, say Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany. Their report appears in the August 27th, 2003 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. |
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KEY | | May do some good | | | May have adverse consequences |
GLOSSARY
Allergy (Allergies)
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, such as proteins, membranes, and DNA. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.
Arterial (Arteries, Artery)
Blood that leaves the heart. When it leaves the right ventricle, it is venous blood; and when it leaves the left ventricle, through the aorta, it is fresh and oxygenated. After it has passed out to the capillaries and started to return, it is venous blood.
Bioflavonoid (Bioflavonoids, Flavonoid, Flavonoids)
Vitamin P. Any of a group of colored flavones (crystalline compounds) found next to the peel in many fruits. Essential for the stability and absorption of ascorbic acid.
Epidemiology
The study of the causes and distribution of disease in human populations.
Free Radical (Free Radicals)
A free radical is an atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron. Because another element can easily pick up this free electron and cause a chemical reaction, these free radicals can effect dramatic and destructive changes in the body. Free radicals are activated in heated and rancid oils and by radiation in the atmosphere, among other things.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, causing patches of sclerosis (plaques) in the brain and spinal cord, manifested by loss of normal neurological functions, e.g. muscle weakness, loss of vision, and mood alterations.
Platelets (Platelet)
Cells that help the blood to clot.
Last updated: Oct 08, 2008
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