Is Dark Chocolate Healthy?
Chocolate has never failed to entertain people. Aside from its beyond pleasant taste, it can enhance one’s mood due to its nutritional contents. However, chocolate is not always healthy. When its processing takes too long, it is bound to lose its flavonoids which have antioxidant qualities that help fight free radicals that can cause certain types of illnesses.
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Flavonoids In Chocolate Are Good For The Health
Cacao is known to contain a certain substance called Flavonoids, specifically Flavanols. These are chemicals usually see in plant-based foods and they are famous for their nutritional value. There are over 4,000 flavonoids and they are typically found in fruits, vegetables and beverages such as rea, coffee, beer, wine and fruit drinks. Why certainly, it is found in chocolates as well!
When we consume flavonoid-containing foods, it follows that we get the benefits of antioxidants in it which can combat body cell damage. Moreover, research suggests that flavonoids have benefits to the vascular health like lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart so the blood platelets become less viscous. Therefore, it keeps cholesterol from gathering in and blocking blood vessels. It also retards the immune responses that may cause arteries to clog.
Eating a tiny piece of dark chocolate per day can give you health benefits over time. Why dark chocolates, you may ask. We know that there are different types of chocolate. Dark chocolates contain the highest amount of cocoa compared to other variants such as milk and white chocolates which pretty much means dark chocolate holds more flavonoids than the other two. Since processing chocolate oftentimes wipes out the flavonoids in chocolates, chocolate companies have been learning techniques to make dark chocolate keep its flavonoids up to 95%.
Health experts suggest that flavonoid-rich foods are better than dietary supplements that contain high amounts of flavonoids. So, go ahead and get your piece of chocolate! Yes, besides being mouthwatering and luscious, chocolates are in fact healthy!
However, just because it’s healthy and can give you health benefits doesn’t mean you have to devour 5 bars in one sitting. Remember, too much of something is bad. Moderation is always key. Eat a little at a time and wait for the nutritional payback over time.
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Chocolate For Brighter Snails
You may have heard about rumors and talks about foods that are designed to enhance brain functions. These have taken many people by storm. If you try typing word “superfood” and search for it online, you will stumble upon diverse websites that are dedicated to this topic.
The curiosity of the researchers from the University of Calgary was tweaked by how some dietary factors can really have an effect on memory, it could be enhanced or impaired. At first, Ken Lukowiak was kind of skeptical towards this matter. He said, ”I didn’t think any of this stuff would work.”
In spite of all the skepticism, Lukowiak worked with undergraduate Lee Fruson to focus on a certain group of compounds called flavonoids. They are found in a wide variety of foods that are considered to be “superfoods”, green tea and chocolate included.
The researchers though it would be hard to single out a single food component and study the diverse impact it could have on human memory. There are so many factors included in the process of memory formation. Rather, they experimented with snails to find out whether the flavonoids that are found in dark chocolates could actually be used to improve their memories.
Then, the researchers have found out these mollusks have the capacity to be trained and be adept with a simple activity. In such case, to be able to keep their breathing tubes closed when they are subjected and immersed in deoxygenated water.
Lukowiak said that pond snails have the ability to breathe through the skin, but when oxygen levels start dwindling, they extend their breathing tubes above the surface of the water son to augment their oxygen supply.
They then worked with epicatechin, a flavonoid compound. They first had to find a concentration that did not have any impact on the snails’ behavior.
They gave the snails 30-minute training session in deoxygenated water. It may sound hilarious, but this lets the snails form intermediate-term memories that usually last less than 3 hours. This is not enough for long-term memories that would exceed 24 hours.
Thus, when the snails were put in deoxygenated water a day later, they remembered to keep their breathing tubes closed. Further experimentation allowed the memories to be intact for up to 3 days.
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