Earlier this morning there was an article on Yahoo news page about another benefit of eating chocolate - particularly dark chocolate. I copied it's link and saved it in a Notebook page but unfortunately it got lost as I went on to other morning online chores... and of course when I returned to the Yahoo News page the article was already gone - I guess Yahoo figured that they had given chocolate its 15 minutes of fame for the day and moved on to more important matters.
The main gist of latest news on chocolate's benefits had to do with seeming ability to help prevent a re-occurring heart attack and perhaps even prevent the first one. But not to be daunted by this set back in losing the original article I did a quick search and was surprised at the number article that popped up regarding chocolate's benefits.
I cheered a lot when quite a while back there was a study proving that chocolate is actually a brain food - it actually helps us to think more clearly... and then it came up that chocolate also is also full of antioxidants. What a pleasant way to ingest your antioxidants. Of course it also cautioned us to not necessarily run out and eat all the chocolate candy that is full of sugar and cream to reap these benefits. But still, think of it, what if after all these years of our craving chocolate, we now find out that perhaps our bodies and brains were trying to tell us something.
Chocolate has also been proven that it helps to thin the blood which is what prevents heart attacks and I am thinking also that this is why we might think better after eating chocolate, study better, retain information better.
Many studies show that have shown that eating lots of fruits and vegetables seems to protect people from cancer, heart disease, colds and other illnesses. Fruits and vegetables contain plant compounds that have long and cumbersome names such as ployphenols, flavonoids and cyanidins. Many scientists have grouped these compounds under one name - phenols and plants make these phenols to protect their cells from damage and disease (even sunburn). Plants are loaded with these phenols which protect their precious seeds inside.
Also it has been found that these phenols in grapes is what what makes red wine a great way to get them inside of you. The deep red color and sometimes even bitter taste of red wine comes the phenols in the grapes. The phenols work their magic by a chemical reaction called oxidation that turns cholesterol into plaque on artery walls - and so hence the name antioxidants. This buildup is the most common cause of heart disease. In a 'Seven Countries Studies" researchers analyzed the diets and diseases of several nations. They found that although people in France typically eat foods that are higher in fats, calories and cholesterol levels than Americans their hearts are healthier and their cholesterol levels are lower. The reason fewer people die from heart disease in France than in America? Authors of the study say it is from copious amounts of red wine.
You can in more depth this phenols and antioxidants in this article:
and find out more about free radicals.
Also here are several links to more about the benefits of chocolate:
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