Chocolate contains the same type
of disease-fighting phenolic chemicals as
red wine and
fruits and vegetables, says
Andrew Waterhouse of the University
of California at San Diego.
He found 205 milligrams of phenolics
in a 1.5 ounce chocolate bar that’s about the same as
in a 5-ounce glass of cabernet.
Two tablespoons of cocoa powder has 145 mg of phenolics.
Dark chocolate has the most;
white chocolate has none. The antioxidant phenolics combat cell damage
leading to chronic disease such as cancer and heart disease. New Japanese
tests show
that phenolics extracted from
chocolate suppressed cell-damaging chemicals
and boosted immune functioning in human blood samples.
Boosts Brain Chemicals
More Americans crave chocolate
than any other food. Some explanations: chocolate’s melt-in-the-mouth consistency
and mood lifting chemicals such as caffeine and the
obromine. And when mixed with
sugar and fat, chocolate appears to boost feeling good
chemicals in the brain (endorphins
and serotonin), thus promoting euphoria and calm. Some women use chocolate
candy to self-medicate for premenstrual syndrome, studies
have found.
Also, researchers at the Neurosciences
Institute in San Diego recently found that
chocolate contains anandamide, a chemical that
mimics marijuana’s soothing effects on the brain.
Helps Lactose Intolerance
Chocolate makes milk easier to
digest if you are lactose-intolerant. Researchers at the
University of Rhode Island
found that adding 1 ½ teaspoons of cocoa to 1 cup of milk
blocked cramping, bloating and
other signs of lactose intolerance in half of 35 subjects.
Cocoa stimulates lactase enzyme
activity, they found.
Also:
* Chocolate,
notable dark chocolate, is one of the few foods with a high content of
chromium, ironically
thought to help control blood sugar.
* In
tests, some animals tend to reduce intake of alcohol when given
a chocolate drink
as an option.
*
Tests show chocolate contains antibacterial compounds that may
discourage, not .
promote, tooth
decay.
*
Chocolate is more nutritious when combined with fruit or wrapped
around nuts or raisins.