Treating Ulcerative Colitis with Dark Chocolate

Having to make a change in your diet because of ulcerative colitis is hard enough to do. But having to make changes in the sweets you can or can't eat is even more difficult. We all have a sweet tooth and most desserts contain ingredients that are "addictive."

Chocolate is found in a wide variety of desserts and has "addictive" properties. One of the main ingredients in chocolate is caffeine. Although it has not been scientifically proven that caffeine is harmful to those who suffer from ulcerative colitis, it has shown that symptoms can be aggravated when certain foods, including caffeine, are consumed. This does not mean that you have to give up chocolate because you have colitis!

Research has shown that eating dark chocolate in moderate amounts can actually be good for your health. Dark chocolate comes from a small tropical tree, found in Central and South America, called the Theobroma Cacao. Theobroma comes from the Greek meaning "food of the the gods." Dark chocolate has been linked to improving circulation, decreasing blood pressure and enhancing digestion and kidney function. Cocoa powder also contains an antioxidant called flavonoid. It is the same antioxidant that is found in green tea and helps to fight against free radicals in the body.

Chocolate sauce is something that can be used with any dessert. This recipe calls for cocoa powder and dark chocolate, both of which are healthier and less irritating to the digestive tract.

Chocolate Sauce

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Yields: Approximately 3 teacups

Ingredients:

4 oz. dark chocolate broken into small pieces

1 tbsp. plain flour

3 tsp. cocoa powder

7 oz. beaten cream

4 tbsp. sugar (for sugar in the raw use 5 tbsp.)

½ tsp. vanilla essence

1 tbsp. butter

½ teacup milk (soy or rice milk can be used for those that are lactose intolerant)

Method:

1. Melt the butter and cook the plain flour in it over low heat for about one minute.

2. Add chocolate pieces, cocoa powder, cream, and sugar. Stir over low eat until the mixture becomes thick.

3. Add vanilla essence. The chocolate sauce can be used to dip strawberries in or drizzle over cakes and cookies.

Sources:

www.mayoclinic.com

www.merck.com

www.mensfitness.com

www.gastro.orgwww.immunesupport.org