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.
In the USA
Canada
The impact of chocolate on Cardiovascular health
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Mayo Clinic: Heart Disease In Women
Hey Jean :D!
Wow, another wonderful one there with so much information, knowledge & research. And i must say, i was really to shocked to read that heart diseases kill more women than men.
You rightly said, our body needs to be taken special care of, many times people do forget & at times even ignore that, but we must realize, the more we take good care of our body, the more we will take good care of our body, the more be we’ll be able to excel in the spheres of our life.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us & have a wonderful new week ahead :D!
Thank you Faizan! It is really quite scary to see the statistics on heart disease in women. They may not experience the exact same symptoms as a man which is why it is so important that they understand and learn what those are so they can identify. The great news is the connection between a high flavanol dark chocolate that helps the body and the heart. Thank you for your comment and I hope you have a great week, too!
I am not surprised about heart disease case in women, the menopause is a great factor for that disease which a considerable part of women ignore it completely , different ways to keep good balance to the body as before the menopause, chocolate is one of it, chocolate can enhance the serotonin as an anti-depressant and a very strong anti-oxidant plus the minerals that help the body to be stronger & younger…
Great topic Jean!
Very true Fatin! Chocolate in its raw pure form is exceptionally medicinal, is fantastic for boosting the mood that helps with depression and is the highest whole clean super food on the planet.
Excellent content Jean. It’s amazing what a little bit of chocolate can do for your health. I guess it’s all in the portion control. 🙂
Thank you Todd. It is amazing and it is why I am so excited to tell everyone about the health benefits of chocolate 😎 Select the right kind and you will give your ‘insides’ a much needed hug. Your heart will love you for it too!
You’re site is so pretty =) I love all the news about chocolate. Dark chocolate isn’t my favorite but I am getting more used to it. My Mother died of a sudden massive heart attack when she was only 48. I’m doing everything I can to make sure my heart is healthy! =)
Hi Cin! Thank you for your kind words. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your mom 🙁 especially through a heart attack. I understand the whole getting used to thing about dark chocolate. I used to only eat milk chocolate and couldn’t stand the flavor of dark because of that after taste. When I was introduced to healthy chocolate I was very surprised that it did NOT have the same taste as commercial chocolate and is very pleasant tasting. As a matter of fact those I have shared it with have said ‘THIS IS NOT DARK CHOCOLATE!!’ I smile at them and say ‘Yes it is 😉 ‘
Thank you so much for sharing this. I can tell you really took the time to do your research. Some of those facts were shocking. I am a big fan of dark chocolate, but my problem is sometimes I eat too much! There are some great heart health tips on Bettermedicine.com as well.
Hi Sarah! I do spend a lot of time researching. My mission is to help educate those who want to learn about the health benefits of chocolate. If you say you like dark chocolate but you eat too much of it, then you must embrace healthy chocolate because it is completely guilt free. It is a sweet treat that is a supplement. You get to eat it 3 times a day! YOU should be eating this type of chocolate to truly get that chocolate hug your body desperately needs. I hope you take time to learn more about it and the big difference between regular dark that is processed vs healthy chocolate that is not 🙂 Thank you for your comment and input!