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Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts

Friday, August 10, 2012

Chocolate



Eat it, drink it or pour it over strawberries, chocolate is the most popular food on earth. Appreciated by the rich, poor, kids, grandparents, pastry chefs and even strict bosses, chocolates are diverse and dynamic. Studies also tell us that chocolates can actually help weight loss! If you think this is unbelievable, sit back as we unravel some weird and interesting facts about chocolate. Grab a bar of dark chocolate as we give you the straight dope. *Images courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images


Chocolates were the reason that microwaves were invented.


Monkeys were the first to discover chocolate by eating the pulp and spitting out the beans.


Mexican nuns were the first to sell chocolates at their fund raisers for their convents in the 1700s.


Chocolates can be lethal if you consume up to 9.9kg chocolate.

Chocolate cravings cannot be satisfied by any sweet substitute other than chocolate itself.


Chocolate allergies are unheard of.

There is higher satisfaction in eating chocolate than in kissing.


More than twice as many women than men, eat and crave chocolate.

image and article credit: http://healthmeup.com

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Chocolate


Sweet surprise! Chocolate healthier than many fruit juices


Superfoods are high in anti-oxidants and compounds that help prevent damage to healthy cells.
Researchers from the Hershey Centre for Health & Nutrition in the US found that powdered dark chocolate had more anti-oxidants and polyphenols, believed to protect us from cancer and cardiac conditions, the Chemistry Central Journal reports.
They compared single servings of dark chocolate, cocoa, and hot chocolate mix with fruit juices including acai berries, cranberries and pomegranates, according to a Hershey statement.
The research showed that both dark chocolate and cocoa had more antioxidant activity and more flavonols than fruit. Debra Millar, who led the study, said chocolate should be labelled a "superfruit".
Source: IANS


Friday, December 31, 2010

Chocolate

Is Chocolate Good for Your Health?


Do you reach out for a bar of tempting dark chocolate for an instant pick-me-up?   If you don’t count the calories, these yummy treats are good for your health!

But like most irresistible foods, chocolate has its pros and cons too. There are a lot of studies around chocolates and health that are often misleading. “So take them with a pinch of salt,” says Dr Ameya Udyavar, a Mumbai-based Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist.

Helps relieve PMS symptoms

Chocolate is a good source of magnesium. “100 gms of pure dark chocolate or cocoa contains up to 500 mg of magnesium,” says Naini Setalvad, a Mumbai-based nutritionist. Magnesium helps ease menstrual cramps. So that gives you a good reason to have chocolate before and during your periods.

“Deficiency of magnesium can also aggravate other premenstrual symptoms like stress and edginess,” Naini says. It is therefore a good idea to keep a bar handy. Magnesium also acts as a laxative; therefore chocolates also cure constipation.

Chases the blues

Feeling low on energy? Have a bite of chocolate! “Cocoa in chocolate is a powerful antioxidant. It contains a large amount of tryptophan, an amino acid, that lifts your mood,” adds Naini. Lack of the chemical phenylethlyamine or PEA causes depression. Chocolate, especially dark, therefore works as an anti-depressant too as it is rich in PEA.  

Good for your heart
Dark chocolates are rich in flavanoids that are good antioxidants. “Flavanoids also reduce the production of free radicals in blood vessels thus protecting arteries from damage,” explains Dr Ameya. It is also known to be a good brain food as it improves blood circulation in the brain and boosts memory.

White v/s dark chocolate
It would be wiser to choose dark chocolate over milk or white as “sweetened, concentrated milk could cause health problems like diabetes and obesity if consumed daily,” reveals Dr Ameya. Consuming up to 30 gms (thick: a small bar) of dark chocolate a week won’t harm your health, unless you are diabetic.

So, go ahead and dig into a treat of dark chocolate on a tough day at work.

Image and Article Credit: idiva.com 

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