Happy Easter; A Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Happy Easter to all. Here is some good news about chocolate for you!!!!!
Go ahead. Indulge your inner chocoholic in a guilt-freezone, armed with the knowledge that one small square of chocolate a day couldreduce your risk of heart disease.
Researchers at the German Institute of Human Nutritionreleased the results of a study indicating that people with a daily intake ofchocolate averaging 0.3 ounces (7.5 grams) had lower blood pressure and a 39percent lower risk of heart attack than those who ate less chocolate.
The study looked at the dietary and health habits of19,357 people, aged 35 to 65, over a period of 10 years and concluded that ifpeople in the group that ate the least amount of chocolate increased theirintake by 0.2 ounces (6 grams) a day, they could expect 85 fewer heart attacksand strokes per 10,000 people in a period of 10 years.
Dr. Brian Buijsse, the doctor who led the research, said,"If the 39 percent lower risk is generalized to the general population, thenumber of avoidable heart attacks and strokes could be higher because theabsolute risk in the general population is higher.”
Six grams of chocolate is equivalent to about one smallsquare of a 3.5 (100 grams) ounce bar. White was the chocolate of choice for twopercent of the study participants, 24 percent chose dark, and 57 percent wentwith milk chocolate.
Researchers think the flavanols in cocoa could be whychocolate seems to be good for blood pressure and heart health, and since thereis more cocoa in dark chocolate, dark chocolate may have a greatereffect.
Sounds wonderful, but there is, as always, a note ofcaution. Dr. Buijsse warns that eating chocolate shouldn't increase your overallintake of calories or reduce your consumption of healthy foods. "Small amountsof chocolate may help to prevent heart disease, but only if it replaces otherenergy-dense foods, such as snacks, in order to keep body weight stable," hesaid.
Duly noted. One square a day. Would someone please passthe chocolate...
The full press release and details of the study can beaccessed here: German Institute of Human NutritionPotsdam-Rehbrücke
Have a great day!
Categories: Fun Stuff, Happiness
Tags: feel good Fun Stuff chocolate Happiness
Happy Easter Jody! I hope you are having a great weekend. Glad you got the coconut oil...
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Thx again!
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i eat chocolate every day without fail. good to know that it's actually a good thing!
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Good for you! Enjoy!
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If only I could stop at just one piece! Occasionally my husband will pick up one of those small square of dark chocolate that they have at grocery store check outs. That is the only way I can control the chocolate monster.
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I hear you as do many !
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Okay, so its not the best quality of chocolate, but I start each day of my life with a single Hershey's Kiss -- first thing out of bed. I have done this every day of my life for more than 10 years. Always with the premise that I am doing several things:
1) Jump starting my insulin production, and setting up my metabolism for the day.
2) Allowing myself to taste something special.
3) Reinforcing the concept that it's the 1st taste that tastes the best, and that there is no need for a 2nd taste.
It's a daily exercise in enjoyment and control.
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Hey, I loved this comment! What a way to start the day!
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While I have never been a chocolate fan, I have started eating a little of it every now and then for this very reason. The darker the better.
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I am not the biggest fan either but I think I may be liking it more the older I get.. OH NO!
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I'm hoping the title of this post does not apply to my visiting here with all of y'all chocoholics
I usually have a small amount of 100% baking cocoa every day. All of the benefits, none of the pleasure
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So Dr. J!
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Jody - I love reading things like this because then I don't have to feel too guilty about some chocolate here and there.
I wish I liked dark chocolate better. I do eat it but really do prefer the milk variety.
I hope you had a great weekend.
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Happy Easter to you too! Enjoy that chocolate and your family!
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I like this study! Oh, yes I do.
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we had lots of treats here this weekend.
sadly
please to do a study on the benefits of those!
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