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Chocolate and Your Heart
February 14, 2009 |
Chocolate is made from plants so it contains many of the health benefits of dark
vegetables. In fact, dark chocolate contains nearly eight times the amount of antioxidants
found in strawberries.
Dr. Steven Longobardi says, “Some studies are supporting that low doses of dark
chocolate are high in antioxidants and polyphenols have been shown to be beneficial
for the heart.” Two heart health benefits of eating dark chocolate include lowering
blood pressure in those with high blood pressure and lowering LDL, or bad, cholesterol by up to ten percent.
But that doesn’t mean you should eat a pound of chocolate every day. “That has to
be tempered by the calories that are taken in and the fat content which can also
be detrimental to the heart,” says Dr. Longobardi. Chocolate is still a high calorie,
high fat food. Most studies done on chocolate used no more than one hundred grams,
or about 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits.
Dr. Elizabeth Cosmi-Cintron says, “I think in moderation if you eat dark chocolate
it is protective to your heart.” Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk
or white chocolate. Doctors advise avoiding chocolates with caramel, nougats or
other fillings as these just add more sugar and fat.
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