Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Monday, February 8th, 2010
Great news: Drinking hot cacao is no longer a rich treat to enjoy on a brisk day, it can also help fight high blood pressure and hypertension. Blood.doodig.com reports that hot chocolate can be used as a home remedy for lowering your blood pressure.
The idea was actually borrowed from the citizens in Central America, in particular the Kuna Indians live on islands off the coast of Panama. The Kuna Indians are free from high blood pressure and no deaths have contributed much less to each other that can become a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease.
Furthermore, by the time the Islanders reach the age of 60, the average blood pressure is an astounding 110/70. According to the Harvard Institute researchers, the hot cocoa has become a prominent home remedy for the Kuna Indians to lower blood pressure despite subsidiary unhealthy lifestyle factors such as obesity, smoking, and lack of physical activity or alcohol consumption.
Recent studies suggest that it has been since the 18th century that hot cocoa was to fight as a resource for cardiovascular disease. Kuna Indians drink about five cups of cocoa a day. This is particularly significant because the cocoa contains chemicals called Flavan-3-ols, which not only lowers blood pressure but also improves the overall functioning of the cells of blood vessels. Well it works, the production of the body to promote nitric oxide. The blood thinner hot cocoa actually allows an increase in blood flow to his heart, brain and other relevant institutions.
Read more by clicking here.
Posted in Health | 67 Comments »
Saturday, January 30th, 2010
In essence, vegan chocolate shouldn’t be hard to find. Yet, it can be since milk is often an additive of chocolate. About.com explains when chocolate loses its vegan status and how you can find the vegan versions:
Chocolate itself comes from a plant, making it vegan, yes, but in the process of going from the tree to the grocery store, a variety of additives are added, including sugar and milk or milkfat. A good quality chocolate, however, will have a higher chocolate content, pure ingredients and no additives. The ingredients will be simple: cocoa, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar and sometimes vanilla. And that’s it. Lesser quality chocolates have a long ingredients list, which, along with cheap fillers such as food starch and artificial flavorings, will often contain milk, milk solids or milk fat.
So while most chocolate is not vegan simply due to the additives, the good news is that there are plenty of vegan chocolate options available.
Chocolove Dark Chocolate and Orange Peel
Trader Joe’s brand chocolate chips
Newman’s Own Chocolate Bars: Sweet Dark Espresso and Sweet Dark Orange, regular and organic)
Ritter Sport – Chocolate Mint (the light blue ones) and Marzipan (the red one)
Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate – Dark Chocolate
Organic Equal Exchange Chocolate All flavors except for milk chocolate
Here are a few brands of vegan chocolate that are specifically made to be vegan and are marketed and labeled as such. Most of these vegan chocolate brands are organic and fair-trade as well.
Tags: vegan chocolate
Posted in Gourmet Chocolate, Health | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Raw cacao is packed with nutrition. Suite 101 reports that the seed for chocolate can help replenish vital vitamins and minerals that help prevent chronic diseases.
America and Malnutrition
Cacao Beans and Their Benefits
Cacao beans, which chocolate is made from, are rich in nutrients and have many health benefits. The unprocessed form is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and enzymes. Cacao is good for cardiovascular health, raises the level of serotonin in the brain, and stimulates the secretion of endorphins. This may be why many of us have a love/hate relationship with chocolate. The benefits of cacao are lost in the commercial processing of heating the powder and mixing it with sugar and fats to make chocolate. To incorporate them into your diet, raw cacao beans can be eaten alone for a bitter roasted taste, or combined with honey, or mixed into yogurt, and smoothies.
Posted in Health | 13 Comments »
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
An article from the Miami Herald looks at what scientists are digging up about chocolate:
No one who loves chocolate needs to be told that it is experiencing a golden age. The very fact that the names of illustrious cacao types like Venezuelan Porcelana have made their way onto chocolate-bar labels shows a deepening hunger for vivid cacao character and careful artisanship.
On the scientific front, biochemists are unraveling chocolate’s heart-healthfulness and archaeologists are gaining insight into its ancient ritual uses, but plant geneticists are engaged in the most exciting research. Their project to decode the cacao genome holds promise for farmers, manufacturers and chocolate lovers alike.
View the entire article by clicking here.
Tags: Chocolate DNA
Posted in Cocoa Farming, Health, Production | No Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
Raw Epicurean gives the scoop on cacao and cocoa:
Raw unprocessed cacao is pure bliss and chocolate perfection. It’s a super food, it’s delicious, and you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it, not one bit, because it is good for you.
When I mention cacao to those who aren’t familiar with it, I often hear “What is Cacao?” or “You mean Cocoa?”. Did you know that the word cocoa is a British term? It is said that the British found it difficult to pronounce the word cacao, so they turned it around phonetically to suit their language. So what is cacao?
Plain and simple, it’s pure natural raw chocolate. It is the fruit that grows from an evergreen herb tree native to Mexico and was so valuable the Aztecs used it as their currency.
The fruit of the cacao tree, referred to as the fruit of the Gods, is also known as the cacao pod. Within the pod is where you will find the seeds which are referred to as cacao beans, and from this bean comes cacao nibs [which are crushed whole beans with the husks removed]. Cacao powder is the ground nibs, and cacao butter is the fat extracted from the seeds [which contains up to 40 percent fat] of the cacao pod.
Cacao is dark chocolate that is naturally bitter in taste. The whole bean or nibs can be eaten as is, if you like bitter chocolate. For those of us who prefer our chocolate less bitter adding agave or xylitol, for example, makes it a whole lot sweeter.
Click here to view the entire article.
Posted in Health | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Looks like mothers can treat their kids to chocolate before bedtime. According to 24 Medica, chocolate, especially pure chocolate, won’t cause much of an energy boost:
It is one of the most popular flavors on earth for sweets, and ranges widely in both style and cost. High-end chocolates have seen an upswing in recent years, but traditional standbys still make up a large portion of candy sales throughout the United States and Europe. In addition to often having sugar added, however, many people have heard that there is caffeine present in chocolate, leading to concerns that it can keep people awake or make them agitated.
Although there are a number of stimulants in chocolate, the caffeine presence is negligible, and so does not have much of an effect on energy or mood. The sugar present in chocolate is much more likely to create a surge in energy or to make people feel agitated, especially in sweeter chocolates. Sweet chocolates actually have lower cacao contents, and therefore have even less of the already small amount of caffeine found in the cacao bean. There are three other main compounds found in chocolate that can affect mood and energy: theobromine, tryptophan, and phenethylamine.
Although phenethylamine does have a psychoactive effect, significant amounts don’t tend to reach the brain after ingesting chocolate. In spite of this, a widespread theory connecting chocolate to love was pushed in the 1980s, and persists to some extent. In truth, however, the phenethylamine is metabolized by an enzyme in the human body, MAO-B, so it ultimately has very little effect. Tryptophan, best known for its presence in turkey, is also present in moderate amounts in chocolate, but it has a calming effect, rather than an energizing effect.
Click here to view the entire article.
Tags: caffeine
Posted in Health | 1 Comment »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Apparently chocolate can help you find balance. Examiner.com reports that Feng Shui guru A.J. Towne pairs wine and chocolate with his “Schway” workshop series. Below is an excerpt:
For the peanut-butter and caramel chocolate and the espresso and brandy infused chocolate, he offered a Spanish Granache and a Californian Zinfandel, which are rich, full-bodied fruit-bomb type red wines. For the sea-salt and caramel chocolate he offered a sweet German Riesling (white) and for the Earl Grey infused chocolate he offered a delicate, peachy Californian Viognier (white). He also offered, afterward, a light-bodied Italian Pinot Noir (red) and a Californian Moscato, a white dessert wine. With these last two, he invited audience members to find their own pairings. For instance, the Viognier went even better with the sea-salt and caramel chocolate and the Pinot Noir nicely complimented the espresso and brandy infused chocolate.
Click here to view the entire article.
Tags: balance, feng shui
Posted in Gourmet Chocolate, Health | No Comments »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Perhaps typical chocolate is too inundated with sugar and additives to be considered healthy, but SocialWorkout.com reports that pure cacao boats many nutritional benefits:
So here’s the thing: chocolate is actually good for you. Trust me—I know about this stuff. I’m a health counselor, and food is my specialty. But I’m not talking about junky chocolate bars and chocolate chips made with chemicals and high-fructose corn syrup—the good stuff is a super dark, low-in-sugar delight that the Mayans discovered three thousand years ago called cacao. Studies show that it reduces cardiovascular risk and mortality, prevents heart attacks, and increases feelings of relaxation and love. Cacao also has more antioxidants than red wine and blueberries and is a rich source of magnesium which builds strong bones, relaxes muscles and relieves stress. Here’s an amazing raw chocolate recipe I whip up when I’m in the mood for something sweet. See for yourself.
The recipe the site offers seems quite appetizing to me!
* 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
* 1 tbsp raw agave nectar
* 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
* 1/8 cup raisins (optional)
* 1 tbsp cinnamon (to taste)
* 1 dash cayenne (to taste)
* 3 pinches salt
* Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly
* Combine coconut oil and agave nectar in a double boiler and heat on low until liquid. Add dry ingredients, stirring continuously until mixture forms a paste. Press onto an aluminum-foil lined plate or baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes. Break apart and enjoy! Store in freezer or refrigerator.
Posted in Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Zippy Health offers a slew of benefits from eating chocolate and cacao:
The perennially highly esteemed Cacao beans that enjoyed pivotal place from the times of the Mayans, the Aztecs to the primeval Toltecs for its wide spanning benefits ranging from maintaining healthy cholesterol levels to lowering blood pressure. No wonder, the Kuna Indians in Panama who consumed them on regular basis were the least at risk of high blood pressure. The cacao beans have a component that assists the body to process nitric oxide that plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal heart health. The seed, seed covering and the cocoa butter all possess medicinal properties. The cocoa butter finds its mention in many cosmetic brands and pharmacy products like suppositories. The high levels of tannin in the cocoa seeds are quite effectual to treat diarrhoea by decreasing the discharge from the intestines.
Cacao has higher antioxidants than even red wine, blueberries, having four times more antioxidant content than green tea.
The cacao beans from which chocolate is made, used to be consumed along with enthogenic mushrooms by the Aztecs as a stimulant. The Kuna Indians used the cacao bean smoke as an inhalation to soothe troubled spirits and heal an array of fever ailments including malaria while the blend of the fruit pulp was given as a pregnancy stimulant to women.
In the olden days, the newly plucked cacao leaves were pounded into a pulp and used as an effective topical treatment to heal wounds to treating several skin maladies like eczema, rashes. A concoction of cacao was consumed chiefly as an effective diuretic and in tending to kidney and bladder diseases. A mother tincture of baked crushed cacao beans is used to treat stomach, intestinal ailments. Due to its endorphin secreting property, a tea that was made of the dried leaves of cacao was administered to treat weariness and lethargy.
Women who experience PMS symptoms benefit significantly from the serotonin raising properties of Cacao. Rich in magnesium and sulphur, cacao helps maintain healthy bones, good for the healthy skin, hair and nails.
The oleic acid in cacao that is present even in olive oil contains the mono unsaturated fat that is a healthy fat that helps increase good cholesterol. Cacao helps defy and heal harm caused due to free radicals and has anti-cancerous properties.
Tags: anti-cancerous, antioxidants, Aztecs, bladder, blood pressure, blueberries, cacao, cacao bean, chocolate, cholesterol, cocoa, cocoa butter, cosmetic, diarrhoea, diuretic, eczema, endorphin, enthogenic mushrooms, fever, free radicals, good cholesterol, green tea, hair, healthy bones, heart health, intestine, intestines, kidney, Kuna Indians, magnesium sulphur, malaria, Maya, Mayan, mono unsaturated fat, nails, nitric oxide, oleic acid, olive oil, Panama, pregnancy, rash, red wine, serotonin, skin, stimulant, stomach, tannin, tea, Toltecs, weariness and lethargy
Posted in Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Chocolate can be healthy. The trick, as reported by Herbal Remedies, is to stick with dark chocolate:
We often frown at chocolate as tasteful devil of foods; it not only adds calorie on diet, it increases the chance of tooth decay as well. But overall chocolate is not a harmful food itself. In fact, contrary to popular belief, it has a few health benefits also.
Some of the popular benefits of chocolate are described here.
Dark chocolates are rich with cacao content and cacao is a well known natural antibacterial agent. However, in milk chocolate the medicinal quality of cacao gets somehow diminished due to high sugar content.
Chocolate is one of the easy available, tasteful, feel-good foods that improves brain waves of the consumer and thus provides instant relaxation. Its phenyl ethylamine content prevents from frequent mood swing thus depressed people are often prescribed to take limited quantity of this so-called food devil as natural medicine against negative view of life. The carbohydrate content of chocolate stimulates serotonin secretion in brain and thus promotes the feeling of well-being of a person who takes chocolate regularly.
Good quality chocolate contains cocoa butter which is known as a dietary agent to improve good cholesterol level of a frequent chocolate eater; thus promotes good health of heart.
(more…)
Posted in Health | No Comments »
