Chocolate Diets and Chocolate Pills
March 21, 2014
The idea of a chocolate diet seems to have new company. A new study will determine if collecting the nutrients in dark chocolate, minus the fat and sugar, and putting them in a pill, will do any good.
The key part of this study is the ‘flavanol’ that’s abundant in cacao beans. Several studies have shown how it can be beneficial for arterial health, insulin, blood pressure, as well as cholesterol.
The concepts of chocolate diets and chocolate pills may be rather new, but the health benefits of cocoa have been studied and established for quite a while. The flavonoids in cocoa are renowned antioxidants that help keep stroke and heart attacks at bay.
It's also said that Flavanoids help maintain blood pressure. Dark chocolate, having the greatest concentration of cocoa, has the most therapeutic value. Caveat: the intake should be limited to about 20g every three days for the best medicinal effect.
The flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate are present in the non-fat portions of the bean and include catechins, procyandins, and epicatechins. More than just being a defense line against life-threatening health conditions, cocoa beans are packed with other medicinal benefit, as well. Cocoa can stimulate a serotonin boost in the brain, and this is said to help people suffering from depression and even grumpy girls suffering from PMS!
Cocoa beans also have a wide array of essential minerals and vitamins such as calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E, and pantothenic acid.
Chocolate diets are the outcome of studies that displayed how people who ate chocolate more frequently had a lower body mass index (BMI) as compared to those who did not. In spite of the high fat content of chocolate, the antioxidants and other chemicals seem to offer an increase in metabolic rate.
Just to make it clear though, we should give credit where credit is due. In this case, it should be given to dark chocolate. Also, you should keep in mind that it is the regulated frequency and not an increased quantity of intake, that yields the best results.
Then again, it all still boils down to healthy food choices, very strict portion control, on top of regular exercise along with the desired chocolate added in prescribed amounts. Who knows, maybe chocolate diets and pills can be your passport to better health and fitness.
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