Chocolate Is Better For Us Than We Think

However, it is exactly those additional components of fat and sugars that make chocolate an unhealthy food. In its pure and natural state, chocolate contains tons of flavonoids which just about all health professionals contend is good for you. Flavonoids are those compounds that occur in most fruits and vegetables and have lots of antioxidants and bioflavonoids associated with them.

In a lot of ways, modern civilization has come of age up with chocolate. Researchers say that as early as 1100 BC, there are stories of man using chocolate. Then later, in some cultures such as the Mayans, cacao was associated with gods and often used in religious ceremonies to worship and sacrifices. And still later, other societies begin to use cacao as medicine, in addition to cooking.

And as for the Europeans, Christopher Columbus, after completing a great job of discovering America, discovered chocolate in 1502. As ever more cultures discovered the joys of chocolate, it gradually became one of the more popular food delicacies of all time.

Flavonoids have long been associated with providing the person with a number of health benefits. In fact, there are quite a few studies suggesting that they help to combat the onset of major diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and others. Flavonoids also seem to have anti-bacterial properties as well as being very effective in fighting tumors and inflammations.

Nutritionists have known for a long time that most flavonoids come from fruits and vegetables. And that is one reason why eating a lot of vegetables is always a good idea. What's less known, however, is that chocolate is actually higher in flavonoids than many fruits or vegetables.
Regrettably, a number of of these healthful flavonoids are demolished in the production and refining process utilized in the making of many of today's chocolates. For example, when cocoa is roasted past a certain temperature, many of the flavonoids are lost in the heat.

In a similar fashion, alkali, which destroys flavonoids, is used during the refining process for most forms of cocoa. And, even during the production of milk chocolates, which are the favorite type of chocolate in the U.S., adding cream or milk to the chocolate, while it doesn't destroy flavonoids, does seem to inhibit the flavonoids from having its normally positive effects on the body.

Source : articlesbase