Emoti chocolate is a multifunctional food with health benefits.
70% pure dark chocolate has been selected by Elysberg for its nutritional richness, because it provides all the nutritional elements necessary for the development and maintenance of a healthy body. Dark chocolate is a natural source of proteins, iron and zinc – good for muscle tone and vitality – it provides magnesium for muscular balance and alimentary fiber facilitating digestion. Chocolate also contains numerous antioxidants and polyphenols, which have shown, through independent scientific studies, an incredible variety of positive benefits for the human body, from improving cardiovascular health (lowering LDL oxidation), to relaxation of the blood vessel walls, to diminution of platelet aggregation.
Will bitter chocolate save the blood vessels of smokers?
Bitter chocolate may help improve elasticity of blood vessels in smokers. This discovery was made by researchers of Zurich in Switzerland, under the leadership of Doctor Robert Corti, published in the December issue of Heart.
In their study, the researchers have studied a group of twenty five smokers, divided in two groups. Those in the first group ate bitter chocolate daily, containing 74 per cent of cocoa, and those in the other group ate white chocolate without any cocoa. The researchers evaluated the condition of blood platelets and elasticity of upper limb vessels. The study results showed that white chocolate did not have any effect on the parameters observed. On the contrary, bitter chocolate improved considerably both of the parameters observed, and its effect endured for the period of eight hours. Two hours upon bitter chocolate consumption, the amount of antioxidants, substances that prevent aging and damaging of cells in the body, increased, as well. Nevertheless, the experts stated that in spite of its positive effects, bitter chocolate could not reverse the harmful influence of smoking on human health, unfortunately.
Bitter chocolate reduces blood pressure
Other experts stood up for chocolate, too. This time they were American cardiologists of the Tufts University in Boston. In their opinion, this spice made of cocoa beans can reduce blood pressure. And moreover, it improves the mood and has anticancerous effects.
The so called flavonoids contribute to reducing the blood pressure; these are antioxidative substances contained in chocolate. “A number of even more recent studies showed that foods rich in flavonoids can have favourable effects on the circulatory system. However, we performed the first clinical test focused exclusively on the bitter chocolate effects,” said Jeffrey Blumberg from Boston. “Our discovery should not invite people to consume more chocolate,” the researcher advises. “It only presents the conclusion that cocoa flavonoids may have favourable effects on the blood vessels function and sensitivity to glucose.” It is true that chocolate has beneficial effects thanks to flavonoids, however, its effect can be unfavourable, at the same time – due to high content of fats and sugars. It thus has to be consumed in moderation. Moreover, benefit for the human health demonstrable in the clinical tests was shown only by chocolates with very high proportion of cocoa and minimum content of fat and sugar. White and milk chocolates are rather harmful than beneficial for the health.
