Chocolate and Heart Health – Fact or
Fallacy?
by Nicholas Webb
Wouldn’t 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
isn’t 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 isn’t 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 won’t do
your heart any harm, however, watch those calories. Most of
all, enjoy it cause it tastes so good!
For more heart health related information visit www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com
- a site that offers user-friendly articles, tips and advice
for avoiding heart disease, getting the edge on risk factors
and living your life to the full!
warning
signs leading up to heart attack
what happens if i ignore a heart
attack
signs and symptoms of a heart
attack
ecg says has had a heart
attack
sudden weight loss fatal heart
attack risk
| 
