CHOCOLATE...MY WEAKNESS!

A Cure For All That Ails You!

Something that tastes soooooo good,
can't be bad for you...
Right???
Well, they have been doing alot of research lately,
and the latest scientific information says:

Chocolate's Benefits:

  • It contains disease-fighting "phenolic" chemicals,
    (similar to those in red wine and some fruits and vegetables)
    which fight cell damage preceeding diseases
    such as cancer and heart disease;
    and boost immune functions in human blood samples.

  • It's mood lifting chemicals such as caffeine and theobromine
    when mixed with sugar and fat, appear to boost the "feel good"
    chemicals in the brain (endorphins and serotonin),
    promoting euphoria and calm!

  • Some women even use Chocolate to "self medicate" for PMS.
    researchers at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego
    recently found that chocolate contains anandamide,
    a chemical that mimics marijuana's soothing effects on the brain.

  • Chocolate makes milk easier to digest if you are lactose-intolerant.
    Cocoa stimulates lactase enzyme activity,they found.

  • Dark Chocolate has a high content of Chromium,
    thought to help control blood sugar.

  • In tests, some animals tend to reduce intake of alcohol
    when given a chocolate drink as an option.

  • Tests show chocolate contains antibacterial compounds
    that may discourage, not promote, tooth decay.

Chocolate Doesn't:

  • Doesn't Raise Cholesterol!
    (Cocoa butter has a different effect than the fat in butter!)

  • Doesn't Cause Acne!
    A study at Univ. of Penn. found that acne symptoms were no worse
    from eating a real chocolate bar than eating a dummy chocolate bar.

  • Doesn't cause most Headaches!
    Tension and migraine headaches may not be triggered
    by chocolate as formerly thought. In a study at the
    Univ. of Pittsburg, it was found that 50% of the 63 women studied,
    did not develope a headache after eating the chocolate and carob bars
    and in the others, the carob was as apt to cause a headache as the chocolate.

  • Doesn't cause Hyperactivity!
    Several scientific studies have found no evidence of that,
    and in fact,that sweets calm many children.

Chocolate's Worst Crime:

  • It is usually combined with animal fats, bad-fat baked goods.

  • It can cause Heartburn:
    It contains concentrations of theobromine, which relaxes
    the sphincter muscle, letting stomach acid squirt up into the esophagus.
    So if you suffer from Heartburn, go easy on chocolate.

  • It Does Contain Caffeine:
    If you are sensitive to caffeine, go easy on chocolate.

  • Comparisons of Caffein sources:

    5 oz. brewed coffee............85 mg. caffeine.
    5 oz. loose tea or 1 tea bag...30 mg. caffeine.
    6 oz. cola.....................18 mg. caffeine.
    5 oz. cocoa or hot chocolate...4 mg. caffeine.
    6 oz. chocolate milk...........4 mg caffeine.
    and
    1 oz. chocolate candy..........6 mg. caffeine.

The above information was taken from an article
by Jean Carper in the USA WEEKEND Magazine
from June5-7,1998. You can go there
to see a list of Jean Carper's
scientific sources for this column.

Chocolate Recipes!

Rules of Chocolate, and Questions

Happy Eating!

To be continued........

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This is a page under construction,and If you have comments or suggestions,
Please e-mail me at :

thecostas@mediaone.net

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