Good News For Chocolate Lovers

You can hardly find a single person in the world who has not had a love affair with chocolates; and now here comes the word that it is good for your health.

Researchers said in a science conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in early September that Chocolate contains compounds called flavonoids that can help maintain a healthy heart and good circulation and reduce blood clotting -- which can cause heart attacks and strokes.

"More and more, we are finding evidence that consumption of chocolate that is rich in flavonoids can have positive cardiovascular effects", Carl Keen, a nutritionist at the University of California, Davis, said in this meeting.

"We not only have observed an increase in antioxidant capacity after chocolate consumption, but also modulation of certain compounds which affect blood vessels."
Antioxidants are substances that help reduce the damage of cancer-causing charged particles in the body. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are high in antioxidant vitamins such as C and E.

Flavonoids in chocolate are derived from cocoa, which is rich in the compounds. Research has shown that a small bar of dark chocolate contains as many flavonoids as six apples, 4.5 cups of tea, 28 glasses of white wine and two glasses of red.

However, another scientist, Dr. Harold Schmitz, said there are variations in the levels of flavonoids in chocolate and cocoa products depending on the production process, in which many flavonoids are destroyed.

Flavonoids are thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in many industrialized countries, by reducing platelet aggregation -- when blood platelets combine into a sticky mass and form clots.

The British Heart Foundation said chocolate contains flavonoids but also has high levels of saturated fats and sugar.

"Fruits and vegetables contain much higher levels of flavonoids, plus many other beneficial nutrients without the fat content," the foundation said. "So the message is, enjoy a little chocolate in moderation, but ensure you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables daily to get all the flavonoids you need without the added fat," it added.

This research was funded by one of the biggest chocolate factories in the U.S.