Chocolate and heart health fact or fallacy
Wouldnt 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
isnt all that bad. In fact, 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. 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 isnt so worrying. Beware milk chocolate may not
be so heart healthy As with mist things in life, there is also
a down-side to chocolate.
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 wont do your heart any harm, however,
watch those calories. Most of all, enjoy it cause it tastes so
good!
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