Dark Chocolate
We all know that anything that tastes or feels good is bad for you, right?
Wrong! We've already covered how
Sex Is Good For Males. Well, dark
chocolate is yet another example.
Dark chocolate is relatively low on calories and high on flavanoid-rich cacao.
Dove is the gold standard, but almost any true dark chocolate will do.
The merits of dark chocolate are coming out in the studies almost every month,
but here's a few of the most important:
1) Heart Health. Cacao, the main ingredient in dark chocolate, is
very good for the heart. It lowers blood pressure among other things. See
#4 here.
2) Kuna. Imagine a world with no heart disease. Well, the
Kuna live in such a world and cacao is one of their
secret weapons. Read here to
find out about the Kuna and the unique lessons we can live from this third world
people.
Do you know the foods and drinks that increase erection-boosting
Nitric Oxide? Check out the
Peak Erectile Strength Diet where I show
you how to dramatically and naturally improve your erectile strength.
3) Nitric Oxide. Dark chocolate increases Nitric Oxide, the stuff of
erections. Yes, it increases blood flow into the penis and that's just
what you need for a healthy sex life. For other examples of foods that do
the same, consider the Peak Testosterone Erectile Strength Diet.
4) Inflammation. A 2008 study showed that small amounts, one or two
squares, of dark chocolate reduced inflammation, which is implicated in heart
disease and a host of other ailments. [1] See my link on Inflammation for
more details.
5) Delay In Dementia and Alzheimers. The polyphenols in dark chocolate will very
likely delay and prevent Alzheimers and dementia according to one recent study.
[2]
6) Appetite Suppression. Dark chocolate is highly satisfying to the appetite and can
actually help you to lose weight.
Researchers in Copenhagen showed that men who first consumed dark chocolate
later consumed 15% less pizza, which adds up to a lot of calories. [5] In
other words, dark chocolate can actually prevent you from overstuffing the ol'
pie hole.
7) Stearic Acid. The primary fat in chocolate is a saturated fat, but
has much less negative ffects on your blood lipids than most other kinds of
saturated fat.
8)
Dark Chocolate. Well, this is still more good news for chocolate lovers.
All you type A's out there, listen to this: Nestle's lab found that in high anxiety subjects, a small bar of dark chocolate
significantly reduced stress hormones. [3]
9) Skin. Consumption of 2 tablespoons of high-flavanoid cacao for 12 weeks
resulted in skin that was smoother and more moist, which is important for a more
youthful look. [4]
CAUTION: The only "side effect" that I know related to dark chocolate is that it
can relax the valve between stomach and esophagus in some sensitive people,
leading to heart burn.
"What are you waiting for?" That's my only question for those of you who
don't eat dark chocolate. It is simply one of those things in life that is too
good to be true but really is.
1) J Nutr, 2008;138:1939-1945, "Regular consumption of dark chocolate is
associated with low serum concentrations of C-reactive protein in a healthy
italian population"
2) J of Alzheimer’s Disease, 18(4), in-press, “A Diet Enriched in Polyphenols and
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, LMN Diet, Induces Neurogenesis in the
Subventricular Zone and Hippocampus of Adult Mouse Brain.”
3)
J of Proteome Res, 2009, Published online ahead of print Oct 2009, "Metabolic
Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota, and
Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects"
4)
J Nutr, Jun 2006, 136(6):1565-9, "Long-term ingestion of high flavanol cocoa
provides photoprotection against UV-induced erythema and improves skin condition
in women"
