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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Is Chocolate Good For The Heart? Is chocolate a healthy food? Some may say yes while others may not agree with such statement. For chocolate lovers, the answer is obvious! Their rationales are simple: chocolate can keep high blood pressure (hypertension) down to normal levels so that there is a good steady flow of blood to the heart. Moreover, flavanols in cocoa (the ingredient of chocolate) can actually prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from clogging the arteries. Health experts, on the other hand, did have divided views on this. In a paper published in the British medical journal ‘The Lancet’, researchers argued that dark chocolate might not be good for the health, as most people thought. This was definitely conflicting with the findings of the earlier research suggesting dark chocolate was naturally rich in flavanols and could therefore benefit heart disease prevention and lower blood pressure. According to the explanation made by the scientists conducting the study, many chocolate manufacturers removed flavanols to get rid of its bitter taste. In the absence of this chemical, the remaining fat and sugar contained in the chocolate could actually do more harm than good to the heart.
Besides protecting heart, researchers from Osaka University in Japan also argued that chocolate might help prevent tooth decay. They found that the cocoa bean husk (the outer part of the bean), which was usually discarded during the production of chocolate, has an anti-bacterial effect on the mouth. If some husk was incorporated into the chocolate products, it could prevent damaging of the plaque and tooth. Nevertheless, most dentists did not favor this argument because the chocolate still contains sugar, which is one of the major factors in tooth decay. The Aztecs discovered centuries ago that a refreshing and nourishing drink could be made from cocoa beans by crushing them into a paste and adding spices. Then, the European explorers learnt about such drink during their travel and brought it back to their home land. By adding sweeter flavoring, an expensive luxury product was quickly becoming popular and in demand. The passion on chocolate has continued and gradually developed, and a variety of chocolate products have been made over the years. Besides chocolate bars, chocolate can also be used to make chocolate cakes, muffins, brownies, biscuits and puddings. Since it is rather impossible for chocolate lovers to resist eating when they see a chocolate cake right in front of them, should we continue to consume chocolate or wait till the verdict about its good or bad reached? In my opinion, enjoying a slice of well-made chocolate cake when available seems acceptable. If we can exercise control and consume chocolate products in moderation, chances that such consumption might cause unhealthy consequence remains slim. What is a well-made chocolate cake? According to a lady, who is very fond of making chocolate cake to share with her friends who also love chocolate, suggests that unsweetened or baking chocolate should be used in baking cake. Meanwhile, she feels that the everyday 'milk' chocolate is far too sweet and does not give the intense chocolate hit coming from a good cake. In most of her recipes, there is almost no flour and she relies mainly on the fluffy beaten egg whites for its lightness and mousse-like texture.
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