Why Eating Dark Chocolate as Part of a Healthy Heart Diet is Good For You.
Kirsten Whittaker asked:
A recent study isn’t shy about suggesting regular consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate as part of a healthy heart diet could be good for your circulatory system.
Note the words small and dark. And forget about nugat and rich creamy centers. Instead we’re talking pure chocolate… as close to its natural, rich, intense taste as possible.
Nutritionists have long known that since chocolate is derived from plants it potentially has many of the same health benefits as dark vegetables do – In fact it has almost 8 times the antioxidants of strawberries.
The reason for this high level of anti-oxidants is because they are packed with “Flavonoids” which are a natural part and parcel of cocoa (the main ingredient of dark chocolate). Once these little powerhouses get into your body, they work to gobble up dangerous free radicals that can cause the inflammation that brings on cardiovascular disease and cancer.
A large, well controlled Italian study, to be published in the Journal of Nutrition, has shown that dark chocolate can significantly reduce the inflammation that leads to heart disease.
The data came from the Moli-sani Project, one of the biggest epidemiological studies in Europe and involved the random selection of people 35 and older, in good health with no risk factors for heart disease.
The researchers looked at the levels of a protein (C reactive protein) in the bloodwork of the subjects while also noting their chocolate intake and adjusting for factors that normally are known to impact heart disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Out of 11,000 possible participants, researchers identified 4,849 subjects in good health and free of risk factors for heart disease. Among them, 1,317 did not eat any chocolate, while 824 had the treat regularly, but only the dark variety.
The work, a collaborative effort between Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso and the National Cancer Institute of Milan, found that those who ate moderate amounts of dark chocolate had significantly lower levels of the C-reactive protein in their blood, indicating their inflammatory state was considerably reduced.
And though the 17% reduction seems small, in terms of cardiac disease it’s still enough to cut the risk of cardiac disease for one third of women and one quarter of men. That’s a pretty significant reduction.
So just how much dark, delicious chocolate do you need to eat to get the effect?
Remember the emphasis on dark chocolate… in fact, the darker the better. You’ll want to look for chocolate with 70%, or more, cocoa solids and little or no added sugar.
The product should also be made with cocoa butter instead of palm or coconut oils, and avoid “hydrogenated” or “partly hydrogenated” oils as much as possible.
Of course, a moderate intake is also key… as you might expect.
Start by looking at the total weight of the bar you’re considering. The ideal amount, according to the Italian research, is 6.7 grams (.23 ounces) a day. You might try to break a typical bar into 6 pieces and eating one each day… or enjoy a larger piece every couple of days. By the end of the week, you’ll want to have taken in no more than 47 grams (about 1.7 ounces) of dark chocolate. Not even a full candy bar. Eating more doesn’t add to the anti-inflammatory effect.
And milk chocolate (white chocolate too) doesn’t, sadly, have the same effect on inflammation. It seems that the milk dilutes the antioxidant effect of the substances in the dark chocolate. The same holds true for a glass of milk you might have with your indulgent treat… be sure to choose a different drink so as not to defeat the healthy heart diet benefits to your body of the dark chocolate.
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A recent study isn’t shy about suggesting regular consumption of small amounts of dark chocolate as part of a healthy heart diet could be good for your circulatory system.
Note the words small and dark. And forget about nugat and rich creamy centers. Instead we’re talking pure chocolate… as close to its natural, rich, intense taste as possible.
Nutritionists have long known that since chocolate is derived from plants it potentially has many of the same health benefits as dark vegetables do – In fact it has almost 8 times the antioxidants of strawberries.
The reason for this high level of anti-oxidants is because they are packed with “Flavonoids” which are a natural part and parcel of cocoa (the main ingredient of dark chocolate). Once these little powerhouses get into your body, they work to gobble up dangerous free radicals that can cause the inflammation that brings on cardiovascular disease and cancer.
A large, well controlled Italian study, to be published in the Journal of Nutrition, has shown that dark chocolate can significantly reduce the inflammation that leads to heart disease.
The data came from the Moli-sani Project, one of the biggest epidemiological studies in Europe and involved the random selection of people 35 and older, in good health with no risk factors for heart disease.
The researchers looked at the levels of a protein (C reactive protein) in the bloodwork of the subjects while also noting their chocolate intake and adjusting for factors that normally are known to impact heart disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Out of 11,000 possible participants, researchers identified 4,849 subjects in good health and free of risk factors for heart disease. Among them, 1,317 did not eat any chocolate, while 824 had the treat regularly, but only the dark variety.
The work, a collaborative effort between Research Laboratories of the Catholic University in Campobasso and the National Cancer Institute of Milan, found that those who ate moderate amounts of dark chocolate had significantly lower levels of the C-reactive protein in their blood, indicating their inflammatory state was considerably reduced.
And though the 17% reduction seems small, in terms of cardiac disease it’s still enough to cut the risk of cardiac disease for one third of women and one quarter of men. That’s a pretty significant reduction.
So just how much dark, delicious chocolate do you need to eat to get the effect?
Remember the emphasis on dark chocolate… in fact, the darker the better. You’ll want to look for chocolate with 70%, or more, cocoa solids and little or no added sugar.
The product should also be made with cocoa butter instead of palm or coconut oils, and avoid “hydrogenated” or “partly hydrogenated” oils as much as possible.
Of course, a moderate intake is also key… as you might expect.
Start by looking at the total weight of the bar you’re considering. The ideal amount, according to the Italian research, is 6.7 grams (.23 ounces) a day. You might try to break a typical bar into 6 pieces and eating one each day… or enjoy a larger piece every couple of days. By the end of the week, you’ll want to have taken in no more than 47 grams (about 1.7 ounces) of dark chocolate. Not even a full candy bar. Eating more doesn’t add to the anti-inflammatory effect.
And milk chocolate (white chocolate too) doesn’t, sadly, have the same effect on inflammation. It seems that the milk dilutes the antioxidant effect of the substances in the dark chocolate. The same holds true for a glass of milk you might have with your indulgent treat… be sure to choose a different drink so as not to defeat the healthy heart diet benefits to your body of the dark chocolate.
Caffeinated Content
Healthy Eating Habits is the Key to a Healthy Heart
Ted Brumby asked:
A large number of people around the world are suffering from different types of heart conditions and diseases. The most common cause of heart problems is eating unhealthy, fatty foods. Food rich in saturated fats reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the body. High cholesterol leads to deposit of fatty acids in the body, which in turn reduces the blood flow to the arteries and causes severe heart problems. It is therefore important to eat healthy food because healthy eating is the key to healthy heart.
It is a general assumption that healthy eating means giving up your favourite foods like meat, pastas, cakes and puddings. But, this is not so. In fact, healthy eating is more about a balanced diet. It involves choosing foods from different food groups.
A great example of balanced diet is one that includes lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pasta, rice, noodles, lot of vegetables and salads. A vegetarian person can take meat alternatives like beans, nuts, legumes or lentils. One should plan a sensible meal for a healthy heart. All fats are not bad for our heart and body. So, use oils such as sunflower, canola, soybean, olive, peanut rather than coconut oil and palm oil for cooking or frying. Similarly, consume skimmed or low fat dairy products, milk, yogurt and cheese and not full fat dairy products. If you like meat, you can eat lean meat but try not to eat sausages, offal, kidney or liver as they contain high levels of cholesterol.
If you are fond of pastas and pizzas, you can enjoy them too. But, use low fat products to prepare healthy heart recipes. These days, you can find a number of companies that sell low cholesterol products in the form of spreads and oils that are good for heart. You can use them to prepare some healthy heart recipes such as creamy mushroom fettucine, creamy chicken pasta, tuna and carrot pasta bake, lentil and tomato soup with spices, baked salmon with rice, roasted vegetable lasagna, muffins, date cake and many more delicious foods without worrying about high cholesterol intake.
For healthy heart, try to adopt low fat cooking methods like baking, poaching, grilling, steaming or using the microwave. At the same time, drink lots of fresh water or diluted juice to quench your thirst. Avoid soft drinks and energy drinks as they can be harmful for the body. You can follow this simple and healthy eating schedule and assure yourself of a healthy heart and therefore, a longer life.
Kansieo.com
A large number of people around the world are suffering from different types of heart conditions and diseases. The most common cause of heart problems is eating unhealthy, fatty foods. Food rich in saturated fats reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the body. High cholesterol leads to deposit of fatty acids in the body, which in turn reduces the blood flow to the arteries and causes severe heart problems. It is therefore important to eat healthy food because healthy eating is the key to healthy heart.
It is a general assumption that healthy eating means giving up your favourite foods like meat, pastas, cakes and puddings. But, this is not so. In fact, healthy eating is more about a balanced diet. It involves choosing foods from different food groups.
A great example of balanced diet is one that includes lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pasta, rice, noodles, lot of vegetables and salads. A vegetarian person can take meat alternatives like beans, nuts, legumes or lentils. One should plan a sensible meal for a healthy heart. All fats are not bad for our heart and body. So, use oils such as sunflower, canola, soybean, olive, peanut rather than coconut oil and palm oil for cooking or frying. Similarly, consume skimmed or low fat dairy products, milk, yogurt and cheese and not full fat dairy products. If you like meat, you can eat lean meat but try not to eat sausages, offal, kidney or liver as they contain high levels of cholesterol.
If you are fond of pastas and pizzas, you can enjoy them too. But, use low fat products to prepare healthy heart recipes. These days, you can find a number of companies that sell low cholesterol products in the form of spreads and oils that are good for heart. You can use them to prepare some healthy heart recipes such as creamy mushroom fettucine, creamy chicken pasta, tuna and carrot pasta bake, lentil and tomato soup with spices, baked salmon with rice, roasted vegetable lasagna, muffins, date cake and many more delicious foods without worrying about high cholesterol intake.
For healthy heart, try to adopt low fat cooking methods like baking, poaching, grilling, steaming or using the microwave. At the same time, drink lots of fresh water or diluted juice to quench your thirst. Avoid soft drinks and energy drinks as they can be harmful for the body. You can follow this simple and healthy eating schedule and assure yourself of a healthy heart and therefore, a longer life.
Kansieo.com
Cholesterol Lowering Food for Healthy Heart
Nick Mutt asked:
A healthy heart leads to a healthy life free of diseases. This article has covered a list of food that is very helpful in lowering cholesterol level. Taking proper care of own health is above all that you do in your daily schedule so try to follow them – for you and your happy family.
High blood cholesterol problem may result in critical complications such as cardiac problems. You may have high blood cholesterol due to several reasons. You can control some of these factors, but some of them can’t be controlled. Your lifestyle is one of the most significant factors leading to high blood cholesterol. But sometimes it is seen that people going through a perfectly healthy lifestyle may suffer from high blood cholesterol. This may be a hereditary factor that is one of the major factors influencing cholesterol in our blood stream.
Normally, our body produces a certain amount of cholesterol. The individuals, who are predisposed with the risk for high blood cholesterol problem, can only depend on medications prescribed by health expert. They need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have a full balanced diet comprising of healthy foods that lower cholesterol. They need to work on some important factors such as weight management and diet.
You should choose the food that helps in lowering cholesterol. Do not take food that include saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. You can either completely eliminate these elements from your diet, or you may at least minimize the consumption of the same.
Avoid sitting in front of the computer for a long period of time. If your daily routine lacks physical activities, you are running a high risk of having several complications such as high cholesterol. Even doing some simple exercises such as walking for an hour daily can help you manage your cholesterol level. If you can include exercise in your daily schedule, you are on the way to manage triglyceride and blood pressure level.
If you have high blood cholesterol, you need to check your body weight regularly. If you find yourself overweight, you should take the appropriate measure immediately to lose your weight.
Cholesterol Lowering Food
If you are having high blood cholesterol you should increase your intake of food high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps in managing high cholesterol by absorbing it and then extracting it out of the body through the digestive system. Foods that are good source of soluble fiber are Apples, blackberries, oranges, apricots, peas, beans, broccoli, grapefruit, and sweet potato.
Omega 3 fatty acids are foods that lower cholesterol up to a significant level. You should take mackerel, salmon, sardines, and many others in your daily diet to fulfill the demand for omega 3 fatty acids in your system. Omega 3 fatty acids help in minimizing cardiovascular problems. If you do not want to take so much fatty fishes, you can always depend on substitute foods that lower cholesterol such as walnuts, soybeans, and ground flax.
Apart from these, you may also add sterols in your healthy diet. Sterols are nutritional substances found in the plant cell membranes. Pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ contain high volume of sterols. Sterols actually resemble the chemical structuring almost similar to cholesterol. If you take sterol in your diet, it contends cholesterol for accessing receptors located in the small intestines. Thus, it minimizes the production of cholesterol by effectively blocking its access to the small intestines. Hence, it results in lowering cholesterol level in the body.
I hope I have mentioned a good list of food in this article that may help you to lower high blood cholesterol level. So, take care of your diet and live a healthy life.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
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A healthy heart leads to a healthy life free of diseases. This article has covered a list of food that is very helpful in lowering cholesterol level. Taking proper care of own health is above all that you do in your daily schedule so try to follow them – for you and your happy family.
High blood cholesterol problem may result in critical complications such as cardiac problems. You may have high blood cholesterol due to several reasons. You can control some of these factors, but some of them can’t be controlled. Your lifestyle is one of the most significant factors leading to high blood cholesterol. But sometimes it is seen that people going through a perfectly healthy lifestyle may suffer from high blood cholesterol. This may be a hereditary factor that is one of the major factors influencing cholesterol in our blood stream.
Normally, our body produces a certain amount of cholesterol. The individuals, who are predisposed with the risk for high blood cholesterol problem, can only depend on medications prescribed by health expert. They need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have a full balanced diet comprising of healthy foods that lower cholesterol. They need to work on some important factors such as weight management and diet.
You should choose the food that helps in lowering cholesterol. Do not take food that include saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. You can either completely eliminate these elements from your diet, or you may at least minimize the consumption of the same.
Avoid sitting in front of the computer for a long period of time. If your daily routine lacks physical activities, you are running a high risk of having several complications such as high cholesterol. Even doing some simple exercises such as walking for an hour daily can help you manage your cholesterol level. If you can include exercise in your daily schedule, you are on the way to manage triglyceride and blood pressure level.
If you have high blood cholesterol, you need to check your body weight regularly. If you find yourself overweight, you should take the appropriate measure immediately to lose your weight.
Cholesterol Lowering Food
If you are having high blood cholesterol you should increase your intake of food high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps in managing high cholesterol by absorbing it and then extracting it out of the body through the digestive system. Foods that are good source of soluble fiber are Apples, blackberries, oranges, apricots, peas, beans, broccoli, grapefruit, and sweet potato.
Omega 3 fatty acids are foods that lower cholesterol up to a significant level. You should take mackerel, salmon, sardines, and many others in your daily diet to fulfill the demand for omega 3 fatty acids in your system. Omega 3 fatty acids help in minimizing cardiovascular problems. If you do not want to take so much fatty fishes, you can always depend on substitute foods that lower cholesterol such as walnuts, soybeans, and ground flax.
Apart from these, you may also add sterols in your healthy diet. Sterols are nutritional substances found in the plant cell membranes. Pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ contain high volume of sterols. Sterols actually resemble the chemical structuring almost similar to cholesterol. If you take sterol in your diet, it contends cholesterol for accessing receptors located in the small intestines. Thus, it minimizes the production of cholesterol by effectively blocking its access to the small intestines. Hence, it results in lowering cholesterol level in the body.
I hope I have mentioned a good list of food in this article that may help you to lower high blood cholesterol level. So, take care of your diet and live a healthy life.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
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