Chocolate is Good for You! Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

umber is Good for YouDid you know that acquiring a daily dose of dark boozeing cocoa may be beneficial to your health? Not only is coffee bean the perfect present for your sweetie on Valentines Day, it also may benefit your heart. The ingredients in chocolate are not only delicious, but dark chocolate and cocoa powders also contain disease-fighting antioxidants. The key to gaining the most benefits from dark chocolate is to enjoy it in moderation. According to cnn.com (2000), in addition to antioxidants, one of the fats give in chocolate, called stearic acid, may increase healthy cholesterol (HDL), and brace bad cholesterol levels (LDL) less susceptible for oxidation, which leads to clogged arteries. This is the opposite consequence one might expect, considering the amount of fat in chocolate. Dark chocolate may also improve gillyflower flow, according to webmd.com (2004). In a study of 27 healthy adults given a cocoa drink with high levels of flavonoids, it was shown th at adults over the age of 50 benefited the most. Flavonoids provide protection for plants, and when we consider them, we benefit from their antioxidant power. Antioxidants help the bodys cells resist damage from innocuous radicals (Cleveland Clinic, 2004). The reason for the benefits of cocoa is that it controls the activation of nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme, that keeps blood vessels open allowing the blood to flow. Flavonoids may also lessen stiffening of the blood vessels, which is a earthy side-effect of aging (WebMD, 2004). It is to be noted that white and milk chocolate do not have the same effect on the body as dark chocolate. These are unfortunately more likely to expand your waistline than improve health. Chocoholics are still at risk for obesity, whic... ...ust 27). Dark coffee is Healthy Chocolate. WebMD. Retrieved January 30, 2005 from http//my.webmd.com/ cloy/Article/73/81921.htm?printing=true. Peck, Peggy. (2004, May 20). The mighty Kind of Chocolate is Hea rt Healthy. WebMD. Retrieved January 31, 2005 from http//my.webmd.com/content/article/ 87/99509.htm. Rauch, Catherine Ann. (2000, February 2). Chocolate A Heart-Healthy Confection? CNN. Retrieved on January 29, 2005 from http//archives.cnn.com/2000/ HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/02/chocolate.wmd/. Somer, Elizabeth. (2001, July 16). Crazy for Chocolate. WebMD. Retrieved January 29, 2005 from http//my.webmd.com/content/article/41/1671_52404. The Heart Health Benefits of Chocolate Unveiled. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved January 30, 2005 from http//www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/pub/ behave/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.htm.