What is the healthiest chocolate for our body?

Medical Video: The Health Benefits of Chocolate

You might know that chocolate contains many health benefits. Norman Hollenberg, a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, examines genes that function to protect humans from rising blood pressure. Hollenberg then examined the Kuna tribe, a tribe that had been isolated for almost 500 years, where the incidence of hypertension in the tribe was very rare and the risk remained low with age.

After being examined, it turns out that the Kuna can consume up to five glasses of chocolate drinks per day.

What's in chocolate?

Chocolate used by the Kuna tribe is richer in flavanol compounds. In addition, chocolate also stimulates the body to produce a compound called nitric oxide. In the form of gas, this compound is commonly found in cigarette smoke. Even so, the nitric oxide produced from chocolate has the potential as a treatment for high blood pressure, blocked arteries, congestive heart failure, stroke, dementia, and hypotension. This statement was delivered by Thomas Michel, professor in the field medicine Harvard Medical School, as quoted from the Harvard Gazette.

The benefits of chocolate according to Hollenberg, are in the flavanols. Flavanols in chocolate activate genes in the body to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide works by relaxing blood vessels so that it increases blood flow and oxygen to the organs of the body. In addition to nitric oxide, the antioxidant content in chocolate can also help reduce the risk of disease. Antioxidants help the body counteract the bad effects of free radicals that can cause damage to body cells.

Hollenberg then experimented with the effect of chocolate on blood circulation. Those over 50 years old are asked to consume chocolate drinks that are rich in flavanols. It turns out that their blood flow is more smooth. Likewise when the experiment was conducted on younger people. Flavanols have more or less the same effect. The results of this experiment provide hope for the treatment of diseases associated with a decrease in cognitive abilities in the elderly. By smoothing blood flow to the part of the brain, it is hoped that prevention of dementia can be done.

Then what about the fat found in chocolate? Fat in chocolate comes from cocoa butter which consists of oleic acid (including in the type of unsaturated fat) and stearic and palmitic acid which are included in saturated fat. This saturated fat only amounts to one third of the total fat in chocolate. However, if consumed too many benefits of chocolate for health can be reduced and actually cause disease.

Are all types of chocolate good for health?

Before you rush to buy chocolate in the supermarket, you have to know what kind of chocolate can provide health benefits. What is meant by chocolate drinks consumed by the Kuna tribe is pure chocolate originating from the cocoa tree. The Kuna plant and then process their own chocolate.

Not all chocolate products contain high levels of flavanols. Natural chocolate or cocoa has a strong taste because of its flavanol content. When cocoa is processed into its processed products, some treatments (such as fermentation, roasting, etc.) cause flavanol levels to decrease. The more stages and processes that go through, the more flavanols are lost. In addition, commercially sold chocolates usually go through many processes, including adding sweeteners, milk, stabilizers, fats, and so on. This makes the chocolate no longer pure and the flavanol content is much reduced when compared to the chocolate consumed by the Kuna tribe.

Unhealthy chocolate

To get the benefits of chocolate, choose the type dark chocolate. This type of chocolate usually has a slightly bitter taste, because the content of cocoa is still a lot. Avoid the types of chocolate labeled milk chocolate, it tastes sweeter because of the added milk and sugar.

Types of white chocolate or white chocolate also should be avoided because it is made from cocoa buttersugar and milk so that it is high in saturated fat.

If you buy chocolate powder, choose the type of chocolate that does not go through a process called dutch process. In this process, the cocoa will be mixed with a solution of potassium carbonate to neutralize the acidic properties of cocoa. Chocolate powder that passes dutch the process usually has a darker color compared to natural chocolate powder.

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