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 a little
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 unhealthy 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 and lead to obesity.
That
said, you might be surprised to find out that chocolate isn't all that
bad. The fat content in chocolate, 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. So far so good. 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
Like
most things in life, there is a down-side to chocolate. When we eat
milk chocolate or lower grade chocolate, a large part of the total fat
content comes from milk fat or various other types of fat contained in
the processed chocolate and fillings, and not from the pure cocoa, which
do adversely affect cholesterol levels. This is especially true with a
large slice of chocolate cake!
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!
Nicholas Webb author and webmaster of the site
[http://www.allabout-heart-disease.com] that offers user-friendly
articles, tips and advice for avoiding heart disease and living your
life to the full! You'll learn so much and it's all so easy.
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