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Healthy Chocolate: The Health Benefits of Chocolate

Dark Chocolate 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day

Available in 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day prescriptions.

Medical studies have proven that dark chocolate can energize and help you focus. Specifically, chocolate contains all of these goodies (among literally hundreds of other compounds):

Theobromine for focused energy
Flavanols (powerful antioxidants) for healthy cells, happy heart, and increased brain power
Tryptophan, an essential amino acid that the brain transforms into serotonin (which stimulates endorphins, creating euphoria and relaxation)
Phenethylamine (PEA), “the love drug”, a chemical also produced by our body when we fall in love; releases dopamine in our brain's "pleasure centers", creating a sense of wellbeing and mild euphoria
Anandamide, a neurotransmitter that activates the same receptors in our brain that respond to cannabis

A growing body of scientific research has shown dark chocolate has a wide range of health benefits relating to: antioxidant activity, blood pressure, cognition, cardiovascular health, immunity, cholesterol, diabetes, anti-inflammatory effects, and mood elevation – even tooth decay, if you can believe it.

WARNING: May cause an urge to exceed daily dosage.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Below is a list of selected chocolate health studies (source: chocolateusa.org, a website of the National Confectioners Association)

Cognition

Intake of flavonoid-rich wine, tea, and chocolate by elderly men and women is associated with better cognitive test performance. Journal of Nutrition. January 2009;139(1):120-7. Nurk, E., Refsum, H., Drevon, C., Tell, G. (Click to view article)

Effects of long-term administration of a cocoa polyphenolic extract (Acticoa powder) on cognitive performances in aged rats. British Journal of Nutrition. July 2008; 100(1): 94-101. Bisson, J., Nejdi, A., Rozan, P., Hidalgo, S. (Click to view article)

Plant-derived flavanol (-)epicatechin enhances angiogenesis and retention of spatial memory in mice. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2007. 27(22): 5869-5878. Praag, H., Lucero, M., Yeo, G., Stecker, K. (Click to view article)

Antioxidant Activity

Polyphenols in cocoa and cocoa products: is there a link between antioxidant properties and health? Molecules. September 2008; 16;13(9):2190-219. Jalil A., Ismail A. (Click to view article)

Cocoa-enriched diet enhances antioxidant enzyme activity and modulates lymphocyte composition in thymus from young rats. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. August 2007; 55(16): 6431-6438. Ramiro-Puig, E., Urpi-Sarda, M., Perez-Cano, F., Franch, A. (Click to view article)

Preventive antioxidant effects of cocoa polyphenolic extract on free radical production and cognitive performances after heat exposure in wistar rats. Journal of Food Science. April 2007; 72(3): S203-S206(1). Rozan, P., Hidalgo, S., Nejdi, A., Bisson, J. (Click to view article)

Behavioral

Chocolate, well-being and health among elderly men. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. February 2008; 62(2):247-53.Strandberg, T., Strandberg, A., Pitala, K., Tilvis, R. (Click to view in PDF).

Immediate effects of chocolate on experimentally induced mood states. Appetite. November 2007; 49(3): 667-674. Macht, M., Mueller, J. (Click to view article)

Bioavailability

Cocoa flavanols - measurement, bioavailability and bioactivity. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008. 17 Suppl 1: 280-283. Kwik-Uribe, C., Bektash, R. (Click to view article).

Blood Pressure

Acute effect of oral flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake on coronary circulation, as compared with non-flavonoid white chocolate, by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in healthy adults. International Journal of Cardiology. January 2009; 131(3):424-9.. Shiina, Y., Funabashi, N., Lee, K., Murayama, T. (Click to view article)

Cocoa consumption for 2 wk enhances insulin-mediated vasodilatation without improving blood pressure or insulin resistance in essential hypertension. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. December 2008;88(6):1685-96. Muniyappa, R., Hall, G., Kolodziej, T., Karne, R. (Click to view article)

Effects of low habitual cocoa intake in blood pressure and bioactive nitric oxide. Journal of the American Medical Association. July 2007; 298(1): 49-60. Taubert, D., Roesen, R., Lehmann, C., Jung, N. (Click to view article)

Effect of cocoa and tea intake on blood pressure. Archives of Internal Medicine. April 2007; 167(7): 626-634. Taubert, D.,Roesen, R., Schomig, E. (Click to view article)

Cardiovascular Health

Acute effect of oral flavonoid-rich dark chocolate intake on coronary circulation, as compared with non-flavonoid white chocolate, by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in healthy adults. International Journal of Cardiology January 2009; 24;131(3):424-9. Shiina Y, Funabashi N, Lee K, Murayama T. (Click to view article)

Effects of cacao liquor polyphenols on cardiovascular and autonomic nervous functions in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology. December 2008. 103(6):581-7. Akita, M., Kuwahara, M., Itoh, F., Nakano, Y. (Click to view article)

Acute dark chocolate and cocoa ingestion and endothelial function: a randomized controlled crossover trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. July 2008; 88(1): 58-63. Faridi, Z., Njike, V., Dutta, S., Ali, A. (Click to view article)

Daily consumption of a dark chocolate containing flavanols and added sterol esters affects cardiovascular risk factors in a normotensive population with elevated cholesterol. Journal of Nutrition. April 2008; 138(4): 725-731. Allen, R., Carson, L., Kwik-Uribe, C. Evans, E. (Click here to view abstract).

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of the effects of dark chocolate and cocoa on variables associated with neuropsychological functioning and cardiovascular health: clinical findings from a sample of healthy, cognitively intact older adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 2008; 87(4): 872-880. Crews, W., Harrison, D., Wright, J. (Click to view article)

Cerebral blood flow response to flavanol-rich cocoa in healthy elderly humans. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. April 2008; 4(2):433-40. Sorond, F., Lipsitz, L., Hollenberg, N., Fisher, N. (Click to view article).

Dark chocolate improves coronary vasomotion and reduces platelet reactivity. Circulation. November 2007; 116(21): 2376-2382. Flammer, A., Hermann, F., Sudano, I., Spieker, L. (Click to view article)

A diet rich in dietary fiber from cocoa improves lipid profile and reduces malondialdehyde in hypercholesterolemic rats. Nutrition. April 2007; 23(4): 332-341. Lecumberri, E., Goya, L., Mateos, R., Alia, M. (Click to view article)

Anti-inflammatory

Chocolate at heart: the anti-inflammatory impact of cocoa flavanols. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. November 2008; 52(11): 1340-1380. Selmi, C., Cocchi, C., Lanfredini, M., Keen, C. (Click to view article)

Regular consumption of dark chocolate is associated with low serum concentrations of C-reactive protein in a healthy italian population. Journal of Nutrition. October 2008; 138(10): 1939-1945. Di Giuseppe, R., Di Castelnuovo, A., Centritto, F., Zito, F. (Click to view article)

Diabetes

Effects of Cocoa Extract on Glucometabolism, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Enzymes in Obese-Diabetic (Ob-db) Rats. Journalof Agricultural and Food Chemistry. September 2008; 56(17): 7877–7884. Jalil, A., Ismail, A., Pei, C., Hamid, M. (Click to view article)

Sustained benefits in vascular function through flavanol-containing cocoa in medicated diabetic patients a double-masked, randomized, controlled trial. Journal of American College of Cardiology. June 2008; 51(22): 2141-2149. Balzer, J., Rassaf, T., Heiss, C., Kleinbongard, P. (Click to view article)

Dietary supplementation with cacao liquor proanthocyanidins prevents elevation of blood glucose levels in diabetic obese mice. Nutrition. April 2007; 23(4): 351 -355. Tomaru, M. (Click to view in PDF).

Immune Health

Cocoa: antioxidant and immunomodulator. British Journal of Nutrition. January 2009. 6:1-10 (In Press). Ramiro-Puig, E., Castell, M. (Click to view article)

Intestinal immune system of young rats influenced by cocoa-enriched diet. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. August 2008; 19(8):555-65. Ramiro-Puig, E., Perez-Cano, F., Ramos-Romero, S., Perez-Berezo, T. (Click to view article)

Spleen lymphocyte function modulated by a cocoa-enriched diet. Clinical & Experimental Immunology. September 2007; 149(3): 535–542. Ramiro-Puig, E., Perez-Cano, F.J., Ram’rez-Santana, C., Castellote, C. (Click to view article)

Dermatology

Cocoa polyphenols and their influence on parameters involved in ex vivo skin restructuring. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. October 2008; 30(5):339-45. Gasser, P. Lati, E., Peno-Mazzarino, L., Bouzoud, D. (Click to view article)

Consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa acutely increases microcirculation in human skin. European Journal of Nutrition. May 2007; 46(1): 53-56. Neukam, K., Stahl, W., Tronnier, H., Sies, H. (Click to view article).

Tropical application of plant extracts containing xanthine derivatives can prevent UV-induced wrinkle formation in hairless mice. Photodermatology Photoimmunology & Photomedicine. 2007; 22(2-3): 86-94 Mitani, H., Ryu, A., Suzuki, T., Yamashita, M. (Click to view article)

Review

Clinical benefit and preservation of flavonols in dark chocolate manufacturing. Nutrition Reviews. November 2008; 66(11):630-641. McShea, A., Ramiro-Puig, E., Munro, S., Casadesus, G. (Click to view article)

Effects of cocoa flavanols on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008. 17 Suppl 1: 284-287. Erdman, J., Carson, L., Kwik-Uribe, C., Evans, E., Allen, R. (Click to view article).

Cocoa and health: a decade of research. British Journal of Nutrition. January 2008; 99(1): 1-11. Cooper, K., Donovan, J., Waterhouse, A., Williamson, G. (Click to view article)

Flavan-3-ols: nature, occurrence and biological activity. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. January 2008; 53(1): 79-104. Aron, P., Kennedy, J. (Click here to view abstract).

Antioxidants and cardioprotection. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2007. 39(9): 1544-1553. Hamilton, K. (Click to view article)

Dietary polyphenols and their biological significance. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2007. 8: 950-988. Han, X., Shen, T., Lou, H. (Click to view PDF).

TCHO-A-DAY 30
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Dark chocolate is truly The Last Good Drug.

Healthy Chocolate: The Health Benefits of Chocolate

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