health care england

One would never think that chocolate would be considered as a health food. But research from science has found that this is a well know fact and should change the way we look at chocolate forever. People around the world are starting to realize that a treat we all love is really healthy for our own benefit. So, lets join the cheer leading squad by chanting: "Eat Chocolate To A Greater Health!"

Ok, before we get over zealous about this fact, let us consider the studies the scientist has found about the benefits of chocolate; especially dark chocolate which most people crave more than other types of this rich flavor.

Sufficient evidence has been proved that dark chocolate has more benefits for your health rather than white chocolate and even milk chocolate. Milk chocolate and white chocolate actually has more fat content and lower benefits to health for consumers.

Also known as Bittersweet and Semi-Sweet, dark chocolate is very healthy and can enhance your mood. Also it keeps your emotions in a lighter, friendlier state of mind. The serotonin that dark chocolate has in it acts like an anti- depression drug would.

So while you are having an emotional bad day, eat a bar of dark chocolate to improve your mood visibly and restore your emotional content. Aside from helping us to calm our mood swings, dark chocolate helps our blood vessels flex, which improves the blood circulation in our bodies.

Other aspects of chocolate that are important to us are all the other nutrients that are contained in chocolate which is known to prevent some cancers. One ingredient very well known; Cacao is an ingredient that dark chocolate has an abundant of, is very important for the body. It contains antioxidants to fight off free radicals which can cause heart problems and diseases of other types.

One major enemy of most free radicals is Flavonoids which is also found in chocolate. Flavonoids help by tackling the other foods which have been ingested or inhaled form the environments we are around each and every day. Catechins and Epicatechins which are Flavonoids really protect the immune system of the body. Now can you see why eating dark chocolate of course in moderation is very important for our health?

Did you ever think about looking at that velvety soft texture of a chocolate bar as having healthy minerals? Minerals such as Magnesium and Iron? At least you now know that resisting chocolate for some is not an answer, but when you eat in moderation, for health reasons; eating chocolate is good!

Other benefits from the antioxidants found in dark chocolate is that it helps reduce stiffness and pain in joints which is caused by arthritis. Eating chocolate today will help in allowing you a restful sleep the next night as well due to the antioxidants that are found in chocolate. Brain and body energy increase from Vitamin B which is also found in dark chocolate.

Remember when they said that consuming chocolate would lead to a higher calorie intake that would cause your blood pressure and cholesterol levels rising above normal levels? Well, they were wrong and there are studies now to prove these facts. In fact, chocolate actually lowers your levels of cholesterol and your blood pressure. That should be an astounding hooray for lovers of chocolate. Yes chocolate does have fats and cholesterol, but they are good for the body and they do not interfere with the production of insulin.

Have you ever heard that with eating chocolate, a person will become diabetic? Wrong! Actually for diabetics, dark chocolate is good because of the low carbohydrates it has. And since diabetics must constantly keep their sugar levels within a normal level, dark chocolate will not hurt them.

With citing the healthy benefits of eating dark chocolate, do not go out and consume an enormous amount of it! Please remember that with all things, eating too much is not the way to good health. Moderation is the way to go when eating anything: especially that sultry melt-in-your-mouth piece of chocolate!

Warren D. Griffin writes articles on health, fitness, and nutrition. Adding chocolate to your diet can maximize your overall health!

People want to know if they can still satisfy their craving for chocolate without suffering the usual fattening side-effect. And better still, they would love it if eating chocolate, or at least dark chocolate, can confer health benefits.

Food of the Gods

Chocolate, in all its varieties, is classified as a food. One dictionary definition is that it is "a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans."  It is loved by young and old - to such an extent that some have called it the food of the gods. In fact the scientific name of chocolate is "theobroma cacao." Theobroma is Greek which translates as "food of the gods" or "god food."

At less celestial levels, some have coined the phrase "food without borders", referring to the international liking of chocolate.

Chocolate is not a natural food. Cacao (or cocoa) is a natural food, but chocolate is derived from the processing of cacao. The finished product, the chocolate bar in the shop, contains large amounts of sugar, fat and other additives. It is a calorie time-bomb, or, should I say, instant explosive.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate, depending on its quality, is less calorie-laden. It typically contains much less cocoa butter than light chocolate. So score one for dark chocolate on this count.

Light chocolate, also called milk chocolate, as its name implies, contains milk which lightens its color and makes it taste smoother. The chief health benefit of chocolate is from flavanoids which have antioxidant qualities. They are said to help improve or relax blood pressure by producing nitric oxide. It may also help to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Research shows that the addition of milk destroys the antioxidants. So score two for dark chocolate over light or milk chocolate on this count.

Other benefits of chocolate, not restricted, I think, to the dark variety, is that it leads to feelings of pleasure due to the production of endorphin. It also contains serotonin, which is an anti-depressant. But some researchers say that the protein in the chocolate will counteract the serotonin. At the same time, there are stimulants like theobromine and caffeine. All these ingredients, in combination, tend to produce, I suppose, a sense of pleasure, a happy mood and yet a slightly sharpened alertness.

But the taste? That depends on individuals. Most people find the bitterness in dark chocolate not so appetizing, which, it might be said, is also its virtue. But if you want to take it like a medicine, there is nothing wrong with that! There are, however, those who actually prefer its taste to the more sugary and sweeter light chocolate. They are the lucky ones. It can also be an acquired taste, boosted by the thought of its goodness.

How Much Dark Chocolate to Consume

Dark chocolate is still chocolate - it is high-calorie and high-fat. Dark and light simply have relatively more or less amounts. A small dose of dark chocolate, say not more than 100 grams, each day or every other day, to get the flavanoids, if you must, should be enough. More will be counter-productive. All studies testing the benefits have involved a daily consumption of less than this amount. And remember to balance out the calorie intake by cutting out other snacks. (People on antidepressant medication which contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors should proceed with caution, as they are advised to avoid tyramine, which is a chemical in chocolate.)

Watch out also that the manufacturers have not removed the bitterness by taking away the flavanoids. Some scientists are also skeptical of the long-term effect. They think that when a person has a regular high intake of flavanoids the body will adapt and the beneficial effect will dissipate.

Final Thoughts

The moral of the story has to be: everything in moderation. In this vein, an occasional and measured indulgence in the other types of chocolate should not be excluded.

Everything we eat is part of our diet. It is the overall diet that we have to watch.

A. Aziz tries to enjoy the finer things in life - but in moderation.

For lovers of chocolate of all kinds: visit Chocolate House and go here to read All About Chocolate.

You may have heard about Xocai Chocolate and are wondering what all the fuss is about. Before we take a look at the Xocai products, let us first take a look at dark chocolate itself.

Chocolate is everywhere in the news today. To prove my point, just do a Google search on "dark chocolate health" or "dark chocolate antioxidants" and you will see 1,000's of different websites talking about the benefits. For example, Time Magazine reported, "dark chocolate has been found to moderate blood pressure, and other ingredients elevate mood." US News stated, "new evidence suggests that a moderate amount of dark chocolate, particularly cocoa, may be sweet for the cardiovascular system."

The problem with most chocolates are the refined sugars, milk, hydrogenated oils, and other filler ingredients that are added to make it not so healthy.

There is a company by the name of MXI (Marketing Xocolate International) Corp. that has developed a healthy line of chocolate products. Xocai contains no refined sugars, no added fats, milk, or other filler ingredients. Xocai is made of 100% unprocessed cocoa powder.

Xocai is considered the only true healthy chocolate because of its patented cold pressing process. What this means is it is the only chocolate of its kind to not be heat manufactured. All chocolates found in the stores are heat manufactured and because of this fact, 80% or better of the antioxidants found in store bought chocolates are destroyed. Xocai products are all cold pressed so they retain 100% of the nutrients and antioxidants and with a whole lot less sugar.

As stated earlier, the studies coming out on the positive benefits of healthy dark chocolate are pretty remarkable. These studies include declines in high blood pressure, appetite suppression, mood elevation, and decreases in inflammation. Although not intended to cure all of your ailments, most people would welcome some positive side effects while enjoying a product that they already love.

Thankfully, there is a movement in today's society back to natural health, medicine, and diet. When you can consume a chocolate that does not contain all of the unhealthy ingredients that are in 99% of chocolates sold today, you'd be crazy to not try it.

While I was not a huge dark chocolate fan to begin with period, once you make the switch to unprocessed, healthy chocolate you'll never want to go back to the unhealthy, processed chocolates. There really is no comparison in taste, quality, and health benefits.

For more info on a company that is poised to be the next big MLM Giant, visit Brian's Yoli TRUTH website.

Author: Brian McCoy is passionate about sharing his love of health and wellness with others. He is also a six figure earner and one of the top income earners in the home business industry. Brian devotes the time, energy, and effort into his team and mentors them to ensure their success.