Byline: SANDRA CHAPMAN
Did you know that the University of California recommends chocolate to those prone to heart attacks or strokes?
This news should go down quite well in a week which will see us eating mountains of the stuff in celebration of Easter.
When it comes to ill-health or diets, chocolate is likely the first thing to go out the window. But that might not be the best course of action.
It's not just American doctors who have discovered the benefits of chocolate. Doctors at King's College, London have discovered that a bar of chocolate contains more of the antioxidants in our blood that fight diseases than six apples. The British Nutrition Foundation agrees that chocolate can play a part in a healthy diet.
A new book A Chocolate A Day Keeps the Doctor Away* by Dr John Ashton, principal food research scientist and co-joint senior lecturer in food technology at the University of Newcastle, and his daughter in law Suzy Ashton who has a special interest in nutrition education, reveal how the benefits of chocolate were discovered.
Scientists, they say, have been measuring the levels of anti-oxidants in more and more foods and chocolate came out as one of the highest. A small bar has as many, if not more, antioxidants than a glass of red wine. We need antioxidants to help us fight disease. Chocolate has been found to lower high blood pressure for example.
The secret is the group of chemicals which scientists discovered in cacao, the raw material from which chocolate is made. The highest levels of the chemicals, known as flavonols are found in cocoa drinks, but are also present in dark, and even milk chocolate.
Another condition helped by chocolate is PMS - pre menstrual tension. A survey about food cravings amongst women in an English university showed chocolate cravings to be number one at a particular time of the month. Some experts contend that the cravings may be an attempt to self-regulate PEA levels and mood. PEA is a brain chemical, an important modulator of mood. Lowered levels of it can lead to depression. Chocolate contains PEA, although higher levels will be found in common foods, such as cheeses and certain sausages.
Even the smell of chocolate has been found to slow down brain waves, making us feel calm.
Chocolate contains caffeine. It also contains a weaker stimulant called theobromine. This natural substance is a very mild heart stimulant but it can also act as a smooth muscle relaxant and a vasoldilator. This is how it can help lower blood pressure.
Important minerals are found in chocolate, such as magnesium, potassium (lack of this can lead to insomnia), copper, iron, chromium, zinc and manganese.
The authors don't advise us to eat lots of the highly processed chocolate we get today. Much of it contains hydrogenated vegetable oils which raise cholesterol levels and can lead to heart disease. The higher the cocoa content, the better. Some dark chocolate contains 70 per cent making it a better buy for health purposes.
Nor do they advise us to eat loads of it! Just 50g or 2oz a day is sufficient for our health needs.
* A Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away, by Dr John Ashton and Suzy Ashton, published by Souvenir Press on April 4, price pounds 6.99
