Sport Fitness & Physique

Eggs are good for you -Even the chocolate kind!

Just in time for Easter!

In the largest observational study to date,  researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, Germany have discovered that habitual chocolate eaters have significantly lower blood pressure and an amazingly lower risk for stroke than people who do not regularly eat chocolate.

During the eight year study, researchers monitored the diets and lifestyles of 19,357 people -35 through 65 years of age. The participants in the study were periodically weighed, measured and evaluated for changes in health, weight and blood pressure.

What the researchers found, was that the participants consuming the most chocolate (averaging 7.5 grams daily) reduced their risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 39%!

The regular chocolate consumers also had lower blood pressure than their not so chocolate happy counterparts.

Lead author Dr Brian Buijsse (German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal, Germany) believes that if people were to increase their chocolate intake to only 6 g a day, 85 fewer heart attacks and strokes per 10,000 people could be expected to occur over a period of about 10 years. [1]

Dr Frank Ruschitzka (University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland) agrees. He said in a European Society of Cardiology statement: “Basic science has demonstrated quite convincingly that dark chocolate particularly, with a cocoa content of at least 70%, reduces oxidative stress and improves vascular and platelet function.” [1]

But don’t get carried away!

Enjoy a little chocolate -but just a little!

It’s all about balance.

Keep in mind that there are roughly 500 calories in every 100 grams of dark chocolate, so when you enjoy your healthful, flavanol rich chocolate -be sure you cut out an equivalent number of calories from another part of your diet.

A great way to ‘have your chocolate and eat it too,’ would be to cut grains and flour based foods from your diet. Many people are at least slightly allergic to the many allergens and antigens found in grains.

So indulge a little -but just a little….

Too much chocolate is just as bad as not enough.

To your Good Health!

[1] Source: Lisa Nainggolan, TheHeart.org

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