What is Digg?72 Comments
- xboxundone, on 10/10/2007, -1/+19as if i needed more reason ;) but it never hurts.
- CraigJ, on 10/10/2007, -1/+18Why do people use WordPress again?
- emom, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12Do you really need a *reason* to eat more chocolate?!
- xstarsprinklesx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Unfortunately, most Americans eat milk chocolate, which isn't really good for you at all. Come to the dark side!
- NightsWatch, on 10/10/2007, -3/+9I propose a new story: "10 Reasons Never To Use A Wordpress Blog"
- Bizarrkley, on 10/10/2007, -1/+710 Reasons To Eat More Chocolate
You might think chocolate is sinful, but it’s a lot better for you than you think. In fact, it has been used for hundreds of years by medical professionals to cure ailments such as tuberculosis, gout, fatigue, diarrhea, weak digestion, hemorrhoids, low virility, and shortness of breath.
Recent nutritional research has identified many health benefits of chocolate. After reviewing these studies, I came up with the following ten reasons why you need to consume more chocolate.
1. Reduces high blood pressure - flavonoids in cocoa (procyanids) help balance blood pressure and reduce blood clotting. Researchers from Germany’s University Hospital of Cologne found that cocoa consumption lowered blood pressure by an average of 4.7/2.8 mm Hg. The New York Times reported that dark chocolate is almost as effective at lowering blood pressure as common antihypertensive drugs.
2. Improves blood flow to brain - a University of Nottingham professor found that drinking cocoa drinks rich in flavanols improves blood flow to key areas of the brain for two to three hours. Flavanols in the cocoa drink are a key ingredient of dark chocolate. Professor Macdonald’s study also suggested that cocoa flavanols in chocolate may enhance brain function to help fight sleep deprivation, fatigue, and the effects of ageing.
3. Boosts mood - MSNBC reported that caffeine and other chemicals in dark chocolate can improve your mood and ease premenstrual symptoms. Mark’s Daily Apple wrote that the chemical phenylethylamine in chcolate has been found to trigger feelings similar to “falling in love.”
4. Prevents cell damage and 5. Improves blood sugar levels - Lisa C. Cohn, R.D., President of the Park Avenue Nutrition Spa in NYC, wrote that flavonoids in pure dark chocolate are responsible for these added benefits. Cohn said, “if you’re going to indulge on Feb. 14 or any other day, go for the purest dark chocolate you can find. That’s the kind loaded with flavonoids…”
6. Reduces risk of heart attack - a researcher from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine said that eating a few squares of dark chocolate every day may reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack by almost 50%. The study found that blood platelets clotted slower in people who eat chocolate.
7. Helps ease chronic fatigue syndrome - a study found that adults with chronic fatigue syndrome who eat 1.5 ounces of 85% cocoa dark chocolate were less fatigued after they eat chocolate.
8. Raises HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol - a Penn State study found that diets high in cocoa powder and dark chocolate (with high flavonoid content) are related to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels when compared with diets low in flavonoids such as tea, wine, coffee, and onions.
9. Improves processing of blood sugar - an Italian study found that dark chocolate consumption increased the body’s metabolism of blood sugar and may reduce the risk of diabetes.
10. Eases a persistent cough - a UK study found that theobromine, a component in cocoa, may be more effective as a cough medicine than standard drug treatments. The research showed that “theobromine acts on the sensory nerve endings of the vagus nerve, which runs through the airways in the lungs to the brain.”
Many chocolates can be high in calories, sugar, and saturated fat. To maximize the health benefits of chocolate, avoid eating processed chocolate products that have refined sugar and milk fat.
Instead, choose the purest dark chocolate you can find - the more raw and unprocessed, the higher the flavonoid content. The best dark chocolate to eat has at least 60% cocoa solids. - allaboutdatiki, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I was sold at #1 ... I've been on atenolol for years. I could have been eating dark chocolate all that time? :O
- greenblob, on 10/10/2007, -0/+411. First aid for Dementor attacks.
- Stephiems, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3That's an old wives tale, you do not get zits from eating chocolate.
- john95127, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Most chocolate has the flavanols processed out of it, so eating a bag of M&M's will only give you diabetes!
- webtechgeek, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3mmmm CHOCOLATE!
- gr3i, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I used to really like chocolate, but after reading the newspaper the other week I'm finding it hard to want to buy it.
(From http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/the-sinister ...
"A 2002 study estimated that at least 284,000 children were trapped in forced labour in the West African cocoa industry, the majority of these — some 200,000 — were to be found in Ivory Coast. Even the most conservative estimates, including those by the chocolate companies themselves, concede that the number of chocolate slaves is at least 12,000.
These children are forced to apply pesticides without protective clothing and to work for up to 12 hours a day on the plantations for little or no pay. Their toil helps the giant chocolate makers produce the chocolate we find on the shelves of our stores." - jollyholly, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3http://www.laurelonhealthfood.com.nyud.net/2007/09 ...
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A//ww ... - Dan2552, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Chocolate Rain!
- FDL1, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Spy's sappan my server!
- cyrix, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4***** you and your spam.
- GeneralKickass, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1All sugar and no cocoa makes Jack a fat ass.
- IEatHamburgers, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That blood-pressure lowering dark chocolate doesn't screw with people with normal blood pressure right? I'd hate to have my blood pressure fall too low just because dark chocolate-peanut M&M's are the greatest thing ever!
- anogenic, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1only pure black chocolate will do you any good, even the purest dark chocolate you can buy is max 80% pure, so it's still only 80% "good" for you.
- trparky, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Some people need a reason so they don't feel so bad.
- Ireland, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Two more reasons to feel Jolly, Holly ;) Thanks!
- UNL1M1T3D, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Studies brought to you by Hersheys.
- theinept, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Is there anyone in the world who genuinely thinks that eating chocolate is sinful?
- ericxoxp, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1One of the reason women lived longer then men
- fantasmacanino, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That was the lamest comment I've ever read.
- Calcheesmo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2wtf, haha
- bubba9999, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Why do men die first? They want to.
- bubba9999, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah, but how much of it do you need to eat daily to benefit from these effects?
- xstarsprinklesx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Buy free trade chocolate and you won't be supporting the slave trade.
- Vodka2389, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1May be if you listen FreakyD, someone around here might actually get laid.
- JacNet, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1DAMN!!!
/sarcasm - Vazelos, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Burn
- justkevi, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Will the cache crash before the original page now?
Digg Magic! - Jennyd6, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Chocolate is its own food group. :)
- Manno, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Don't eat chocolate If you're website is going to go down.
- dewyjuhl, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1buried for reposting what my channel 4 news has posted at least 4 times before
- derek20cali, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I'm pretty sure eating a bag of M&M's won't give you diabetes.
- noahw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0#11: Puts your pms'ing girlfriend in a relatively better mood
- gr3i, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0No. It doesn't.
- magneteye, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Mmmmm.. It's all about the gourmet chocolate with high cocoa content like I buy from http://www.atthemeadow.com and from Amazon. Really good stuff. Cocoa is an anti-oxidant, and i need it after all those drinking binges!
- Calcheesmo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Perhaps, but then I'd have to move away from this bowl of M&M's and Snickers-minis, I suppose I could walk with this bowl
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -0/+0My GF loves chocolate, this perfect for her! haha
- gr3i, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0By all means, do so. I'd much rather people actually thought about it rather than continued to consume in total ignorance. Hell, even after I read the article and did a bit more reading about the issue I still bought and ate chocolate. It didn't take long before I started to realise the implications and have since found a local chocolate company from my state that grows its on coca and makes pretty top quality chocolate. Sure, its got a price premium, but I can afford an extra dollar or so on what should be a luxury item rathern than support companies that are 100% aware of this issue yet haven't done anything about it.
- hyperart, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Scharffen Berger avoids the Ivory Coast and those evil farms for beans, and re-chooses a new batch of beans from the "good" farms all over the world EVERY single week in order to keep their signature chocolate bar consistent in flavor, as beans even from the same farm changes constantly. As complex as wine!
- peterjones1957, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Read this new study that states people who are depreseed crave chocolate
http://digg.com/general_sciences/Depressed_people_ ... - hyperart, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Nope, you can buy 99% bars if you look in stores hard enough. Lindt sells a fairly common one, although I can't claim that 99% is even enjoyable to eat.... Also check out Scharffen Berger from northern California, they sells various degrees of darkness and nibs too (pure crushed insides of cacao beans)--as "good" as it can get.
- Calcheesmo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0if you get zits from chocolate, you should probably get that stuff checked out
- Calcheesmo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Everytime I eat a piece of chocolate, as its deliciousness permeates amongst my mouth, and I am entirely satisfied, then I will think of those poor kids.
- facewarts, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1This is the last thing the average pig American needs to hear. They just will use this article to justify eating more M&Ms and snickers candy bars.
A little exercise such as walking will do all ten plus you'll lose weight, feel better and it will cost you ZERO ! - JacNet, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Your*
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