Pros and Cons Of Chocolate Value or Choc Value

PROS of Chocolate Value

Blooming skin

Researchers at Heinrich Heine University in Germany exposed regular chocolate eaters to UV light and found that after six weeks they had 15% less skin reddening than non-eaters. We believe the compounds in the chocolate act as UV filters. Says study leader professor Wilhelm Stahl. After 12 weeks, they found that chocolate eaters skin was 16% denser, 13% more moist and 42% less scaly. Chocolate may improve blood supply and nutrient supply, he says. Concerned about acne? No need, it seems. At the University of Newcastle, Australia, researchers reviewed the evidence and found nothing to suggest chocolate triggers blemishes.

Cocoa keeps the blood flowing

Dr Norman Hollenberg of Havard Medical School says rates of stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes are less than 10% among the Kuna people of Panama, who drink up to 40 cups of cocoa per week. The epicatechin in cocoa increases nitric oxides, which dilates vessels and improve blood flow, he says. Hollenberg believes this is so significant that epicatechin should be considered essential in the diet and classes as vitamin.

Fatigue relief

After eating 45 gm of dark chocolate daily for eight week. Chronic fatigue syndrome patients were less tired than when fed placebos. The researchers, from UK hospital trust, Believe chocolate boosts the neurotransmitters that regulate sleep and moods.

Brain-booster

A Privately funded brain imagine study on healthy women at a British university flavanol-rich cocoa increased the flow of blood their brains for two to three hours. Cocoa could even benefit those with dementia and Alzheimers.

Cancer check

In privately funded study researchers found that when breast cancer cells were treated with chocolate flvanols, cells stopped dividing. The study leader says the finding could also apply to other types of cancer

CONS of Chocolate Value

Mood downer

People who eat excessive chocolate for comfort run the risk of making their mood worse. Says professor Gordon Parker of Australias Black Dog Institute. Parker found emotional eaters look for an opioid effect to lift their mood, but a chocolate high is short-lived and may take the comedown worse. Chocolate acts on the same neurological system as serotonin. But youd have to eat a truckload to match the effect of one antidepressant tablet

Missing Ingredients

Confectionary manufacturers remove healthy flavanols such as epicatechins because of their bitter taste. When you get up to 80% coca content, the taste is very bitter and almost unpalatable for some, says Mary Engler, researcher professor at the University of California. Choose dark over milk chocolate and choose a higher percentage of coca content -greater than 60%-for health benefits.

A bone to pick

At an Australian hospital, a study of elderly women who ate chocolate daily found they had less dense bones than those who ate it less then once in week. Study leader Jonathan Hodgson says its possible the oxalate in chocolate stops calcium absorption, while sugar may increase calcium excretion.

Fat attack

Most chocolate is energy dense; you get a lot of calories in relatively small volume. One row of a family block of milk chocolate has 148 Calories. On average, around 50% of the energy in chocolate is from fat. However, about half the saturated gat in chocolate is stearic acid, which does not increase bad LDL blood cholesterol and raises good HDL cholesterol. And the high fat content of chocolate helps control the release of glucose into the system. This means that chocolate is not all bad for people with diabetes, says Alan Barclay of diabetes Australia, a diabetes support organization. The glycaemic index of most chocolates is, on average, a low 45.

VERDICT-Chocolate Value

Indians eat very little chocolate-on average, they eat a mere 40 gm or two RS 10 bars per person each year, while Britons eat almost 10 kilogram. But do we right type? Alan Crosier, a professor at the University of Glasgow, has found that milk added to chocolate cancels out many of its healthy benefits. Milk inhibits the absorption of epicatechins. Almost all of the very elegant research on the protective effects of chocolate has been done with drink that is extremely rich in epicatechins-way above what youd find in an average cocoa drink or chocolate bar.
Dr Norman Hollenberg notes the cocoa drink consumed by the Kuna in Panama hasnt treated with heat and chemical, while cocoa and chocolate available in most shops is flavanol-poor.
Its time for confectionary manufacturers to work on locking in the goodness. Studies have found the flavanols in some brands of dark chocolate boost blood vessel dilation and a few manufactures in the US sell products specially processed to retain epicatechins without a bitter aftertaste. Until more manufactures list the amount of cocoa, including epicatechins, on product labels, researchers suggest sticking to good-quality dark chocolate.
Alan Crozier found even store-bought varieties boost blood antioxidant levels by nearly 20%. TO boost antioxidants without upping your fat intake, try drinking cocoa instead of eating chocolate. Cocoa generally has a much lower fat content