Heart Health And Chocolate

Your heart is a muscle that needs special attention because it is what is keeping you alive. Paying attention to your lifestyle and diet is a great way to be proactive to help keep it in good shape. There have been numerous clinical studies on the effects of chocolate and how beneficial it is to your heart. UCSF Professor Mary Engler, PhD, RN has spent many years researching cardiovascular disease, flavanols and the effects these compounds have on heart disease.

UCSF quoted Professor Engler saying, “she was “astounded” to see that when compared with other flavonoid-rich foods such as blueberries, tomatoes and tea, chocolate was the clear winner. Dark chocolate has 13 times the antioxidant capacity of broccoli, for example.”

Engler is also on an educational mission to help people understand that not just any chocolate is good for the heart, rather it needs to be a flavanoid rich dark chocolate like that of unprocessed cocoa powder. Here is a detailed review of what Professor Engler shares on Heart Health and Chocolate.

Most recently in the news are the facts revolving around a higher mortality rate and women as it relates to heart disease. Did you know that heart disease kills more women than men? Dark chocolate that is pure and high in flavanols may be a woman’s best friend. That noise you hear are women all over the world rejoicing to these findings. Keep in mind it is not just any dark chocolate in these studies it is a dark chocolate that is high in flavanols like gourmet healthy chocolates that will help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and promote weight loss. Take special care of body and your heart. Think of your body as a machine that you need to keep well oiled and tuned up. I can’t think of a better way to do that than with gourmet healthy chocolate especially with the backing of science and the medical world.

The impact of chocolate on Cardiovascular health
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Mayo Clinic: Heart Disease In Women