Chocolate is one of the most consumed products on the planet. In reality, every day more than 1 billion people consume this stuff ... and the average American eats more than 12 pounds of chocolate a year. This raises the question: can this stuff might begood for you?
What are the nutritional values, when it comes to the benefits of chocolate and whychocolate is good for you?
The truth is that the chocolate is believed to have a variety of healthy properties. Is that a complex food-as-made-can be extremely high in antioxidants.
Antioxidants are important as believed because be the aging process and the development of many chronic diseases and degenerative diseases, including cancer,heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease to at least partially causedby the so-called "oxidative stress".
Oxidative stress is due to the presence of free radicals in the body, brought in on yourdamaged cells over time. Is a natural process, which there is no escape. Your body hasa number of systems for the removal of free radicals, but it is not 100% efficient and finally fighting losing battles over time.
And many of our nutritional habits and simply serve to accelerate the onslaught offree radicals in our body.
Here comes the chocolate-dark chocolate-in particular.
Chocolate is typically high in antioxidants
It has long been known that diets, which are excellent sources of dietary antioxidant-rich fruits, nuts and vegetables. Minerals and vitamins contained in these foods--likevitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, flavonoids and selenium ... Roll an importantantioxidant in the body.
Well, now we know that chocolate contains very high anti-oxidant property for.
One of the most reliable measures such as antioxidant value of a particular food issomething called the ORAC score. Capacity to absorb oxygen radical is ORAC.
Not surprisingly, tends to fruits, nuts, vegetables and certain result of spices up ORACscale. In General, it is a goal of the highest food raw or natural state highway and less well when cooked. The cooking process destroys much of the antioxidant andnutritional value of food.
What may surprise you is that unprocessed cocoa highest antioxidant value increases.Of course cocoa powder comes from cocoa and is the main ingredient in chocolate.Unprocessed cocoa powder has an ORAC value per 100 grams higher than the acai berry, which is the so-called "super fruit".
Food like prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries and spinach raw scores highly onthe list before this super dark chocolate.
Not all chocolate has the same nutritional value
Not all chocolate is however the same potential for health benefits. More processed and cooked the product, the less its health property will be maintained. And make sure that the chocolate sees significant processing of the supermarket shelves hasusually ... as Dutching and roast ... and unhealthy processed sugar, milk and derived, fats, fillers, waxes and preservatives added.
In other words, while some types of chocolate can and runs through nutrition, you know your chocolate. And not go running to the store and start a chocolate binge.
In General, the chocolate with the greatest concentration of cocoa healthier, althougheven then, that is not always to be true can darker ... So read the label and inparticular care with any candy bar, where the number is an ingredient of sugar.