Chocolate is everyones weakness.
Chocolate is everyone’s weakness…….90% of people crave it, 50% can't live without it! In North America between 2003 - 2006 sales of dark chocolate have increased 49%!
Does our body recognize something we don't? It seems so! As the medical research keeps pouring in, the dark chocolate story gets even sweeter!
Academics have known for years that dark chocolate, rich in flavonoids, lowers blood pressure. More recently these anti-oxidant compounds have been shown to lower cholesterol and decrease the tendency of platlets to clot, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact the medicinal use of cacao, or chocolate originated in the New World with the Olmec, Maya and Mexica (Aztec) Cultures and spread to Europe in the mid 1500s. Manuscripts from the 16th to early 20th centuries produced in Europe and New Spain revealed >100 medicinal uses for cacao/chocolate.
But this is only the beginning of the amazing dark chocolate story. Modern medicine is finally unlocking the health secrets of dark chocolate and it is truly proving to be "The Fountain of Youth".
So what is it about dark chocolate?
The potential benefits of eating chocolate may be more than just its great taste! A wealth of research has begun to show that it is chocolate*s high concentration of a class of powerful antioxidants called flavonoids that impart the food*s health benefits. While other foods, including green tea, red wine, blueberries and many fruits and vegetables also contain flavonoids, gram for gram, cocoa has the greater flavonoid content.
Raw cocoa is also rich in vitamns and minerals including calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium,copper,zinc,manganese and vitamins C,E and B, all essential components of the normal metabolic process.
During the daily consumption of oxygen the bodys oxidative process generates highly unstable molecules called free radicals, each of which has an unpaired electron. These scavengers steal electrons from healthy cells in order to balance themselves.When the attacked molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. The continuous bombardment of the body by free radicals can ultimately result in the disruption of living cells anywhere in the body.
Environmental factors such as UV radiation, pollution, pesticides, infection, and diet increase the oxidative stress on the body such that the average individual is bombarded by billions of these free radicals daily.
Antioxidants protect the body against cellular damage by neutrilizing free radicals through the donation of an electron. Our bodies have natural antioxidant enzymes however these enzymes weaken over time. The body*s defenses can be boosted by the ingestion of antioxidant-containing foods, or foods that contain vitamins that boost antioxidants in the body . Unfortunately our Westernized diet falls far short of delivering the recommended daily intake of antioxidants to combat these free radials. When free radicals overpower our antioxidant stores, they can cause premature ageing, neurological dysfunction or even cancer. Free radicals have been associated with over 200 disease processes.
Cocoa is one of the most potent antioxidants. Antioxidant potency is measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity or the ORAC test. The ORAC score of dark chocolate is 13,120 /100 gm serving, 14 times greater than a similar portion of spinach and well above the recommended daily requirement of 3 - 5,000.
Potential Benefits of Xocai
- Lowers Cholesterol
- Lowers BP
- Protects Against Stroke
- Fights Cavities, Plaque
- Reduces Insulin Resistance
- Improves Mental Acuity
- Boosts Energy
- Improves Libido
- Appetite Suppressant
- Improves Skin Quality
- Relieve Inflammation
- Improve Neurodegenerative Conditions
|
