Ode' to Chocolate
Ok, this is not a real Blog. Its the Science of Choclolate and its a cut and paste job...
Chy aka Fluer:
Chocolate is good for you!
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, concluded that chocolate contains a significant amount of dietary antioxidants. Specifically, researchers are interested in the protective value of phenols (or phenolics), the naturally occurring chemicals responsible for keeping the fat in chocolate from becoming rancid. Phenols from other food sources, such as tea and red wine, have also been studied for their phenol content and are now being compared to those found in chocolate. While all of these foods contain antioxidant catechins, and the specific phenol epicatechin is common to each, they occur in varying degree and composition. For instance, chocolate contains four times the catechin content of tea. Researchers have also found that a 1.5 ounce piece of milk chocolate has a phenolic content and antioxidant affect nearly equivalent to a 5 ounce glass of red wine.
Why are phenols good for you? While researchers do not claim to have proven anything yet, there is mounting evidence that supports several theories that phenols may reduce the risk of heart disease. While studying what has come to be known as the “French Paradox,” scientists discovered a correlation between wine consumption and a surprisingly low incidence of heart disease in a sampling of the French population in spite of having high serum cholesterol levels. The apparent mechanism of phenols is to inhibit the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood, specifically low density lipoprotein (LDL), dubbed as the “bad” cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL is a leading cause of atherosclerosis (arterial plaque buildup), a major contributing factor in heart disease. However, while dietary phenols may prevent lipid peroxidation, they do not reduce serum cholesterol levels. This explains why the French residents involved in the French Paradox observation had high cholesterol levels but a relatively low rate of heart disease mortality. Other studies suggest that dietary phenols, including those found in chocolate, inhibit platelet aggregation and may promote “vasorelaxation.”
Aside from the role indicated in the prevention of heart disease, chocolate phenols may also affect immune function in humans. A recent study published in Cellular Immunology examined the effect of cocoa phenols on normal human blood lymphocytes in vitro. The researchers surmised that cocoa phenols regulate immune response by inhibiting mitogen-induced proliferation of T-cells, Ig production and IL-2 mRNA expression.
Other studies propose that chocolate-derived phenols exhibit anti-ulcer properties. In one recent study, the administration of cocoa phenols reduced gastric lesions and thiobarbituric acid secretion of the gastric lining in ethanol-induced ulcers in rats.
While chocolate may never be touted as a health food, it clearly does have some health-giving benefits to offer. Scientists now recognize that chocolate is an important source of dietary antioxidant phenols in addition to red wine and tea. In fact, just as an occasional glass of red wine is deemed healthy, indulging your sweet tooth with chocolate now and then may actually be good for you.
---Johnson/greyy
