28 Oct Chocolate, Good For Your Heart

Healthy food for the heart is not always ‘less tasty’. Chocolate is one such delicious food that is also good for your heart.

A researcher from the University of Cambridge – UK, Oscar H. Franco, MD, Ph.D. said that eating chocolate regularly may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, the consumption of chocolate as a healthy and good food for the heart must be in proportion so as to avoid the risk of other diseases, such as diabetes. The statement that chocolate is one of the heart-healthy foods is not without definite proof. Here are the facts that prove chocolate to be a heart-healthy food:

1. Chocolate is rich in polyphenols which are good for the heart health.

2. The active compounds found in chocolate protect the body from cardiovascular disease by working as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, thus helping to increase good cholesterol whilst lowering blood pressure.

3. The results of research conducted by Oscar H. Franco stated that people who eat chocolate regularly have a lowered risk of heart disease – 37 % lower than those who do not eat chocolate.

However, the benefits of chocolate are not derived from all types of chocolate available on supermarket shelves. Ordinary, mass produced chocolate bars are processed by adding huge amounts of sugar and are hence less salubrious. A healthy type chocolate is a dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains lots of healthy polyphenols. Choose dark chocolate without any added sugar to derive the maximum benefits from chocolate. Love and protect your heart by eating foods that are good for its health.