Chocolate Consumption and Cholesterol

Let us start with a good news bad news joke! The bad news is that chocolate is bad for you when on a diet. And the good news? - Chocolate is very good for lowering cholesterol!

Chocolate may be the despair of dieters, but it contains a class of chemicals that might help lower the risk of heart disease, according to researchers at the University of California at Davis. It has been found that chocolate indeed assists the body to lower cholesterol blood levels. The reason is that chocolate is rich in anti-oxidants. In the human body there are free radicals which are actually bad for the human body as it aid in the atherosclerotic process. Luckily for us, anti-oxidants are the good guys who neutralise free radicals. Anti-oxidants have the ability to mop up the majority of these aggressive free radical molecules and it also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, Vitamin E and selenium.

Chocolate is rich in all these ingredients and therefore it has been proven to actually lower the cholesterol blood levels. Although cholesterol is found in animal fats, it must be borne in mind that the body is a natural factory for cholesterol and therefore with the intake of cholesterol rich foods, the body is still producing cholesterol. Therefore, no wonder that cholesterol levels can quickly be increased. Cholesterol is very important for the body as it is inter alia needed to help build cell walls as well as many hormones.

But before cholesterol can be transported through the bloodstream, it must be combined with fats and proteins into particles called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, are known as the "bad" cholesterol, and they are the artery-blockers. The "good" high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, are believed to scavenge excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and carry it to the liver for excretion. Diets high in flavonoid-rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate have a favourable effect on LDL ("bad" cholesterol) when compared with diets that limit or exclude other flavonoid sources such as tea, coffee, wine and onions.

Researchers have found that an ounce and a half of mild chocolate contains 205 milligrams of phenolics, while a cup of hot chocolate has 146 milligrams. Phenolics, according to current thinking, are among several compounds in foods that prevent oxygen from combining with low-density lipoproteins - a process called oxidation. This minimizes the ability of LDL to damage artery walls and contribute to the build-up of plaque. Ironically, every chocolate fan's wish that their favourite indulgence could somehow be healthy for them has actually become true. Their wish has been granted!

It also seems that the darker the chocolate, the better it is for the health. Research has shown that dark chocolate has as many as five times more anti-oxidants than normal chocolate. Cocoa powder contains twice as many anti-oxidants as dark chocolate and is almost free of any fat. It is now fact, the regular intake chocolate, especially dark chocolate, would increase the level of antioxidants, prevent the oxidation of "bad" LDL cholesterol, and probably prevent heart disease. But, and this is a big but, do not use chocolate for medicinal purposes and never, but never substitute a healthy diet with chocolates. Remember that heart disease develops slowly and unseen over many years, so the sooner you start caring for your heart, the healthier your life will be.

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