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Eating
Chocolate Is Healthy, Doctors Say
``More and more, we are finding evidence that
consumption of chocolate that is rich in flavonoids can have positive
cardiovascular effects,'' Carl Keen, a nutritionist at the
Antioxidants are substances that help reduce the
damage of cancer-causing charged particles in the body. Fruits, vegetables,
nuts and whole grains are high in antioxidant vitamins such as C and E.
Flavonoids in chocolate are derived from cocoa,
which is rich in the compounds. Research has shown that a small bar of dark
chocolate contains as many flavonoids as six apples, 4.5 cups of tea, 28
glasses of white wine and two glasses of red.
But Dr. Harold Schmitz said there were variations in the levels of flavonoids in chocolate and cocoa products depending on the production process, in which many flavonoids are destroyed. ``All chocolates are not created equal in regards to flavonoid content,'' Schmitz, a scientist with confectionery maker Mars Inc, told a news conference.
Flavonoids are thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in many industrialized countries, by reducing platelet aggregation -- when blood platelets combine into a sticky mass and form clots.
Keen and his colleagues measured the impact of chocolate on platelets in the
blood in 25 volunteers. They presented their findings to the British
Association for the Advancement of Science (news
- web
sites) conference in
The researchers collected blood samples from volunteers who ate 25 grams (0.9 ounces) of chocolate with a high flavonoid content and other volunteers who ate bread. They took blood samples from both groups two and six hours after they ate the chocolate and bread to measure their platelet activation.
Volunteers who consumed the chocolate had lower levels of platelet activity, which would reduce the probability of having a blood clot. The scientists found no change in the group that ate the bread.
Keen said the results of the study support earlier research showing that cocoa acts like low-dose aspirin which helps to reduce blood clotting. But he warned that eating chocolate should not be substituted for taking low dose aspirin because they work through different mechanism in the body. ``These results lead us to believe that chocolate may contribute to a healthy, well-balanced diet,'' Keen added.
Up to 300 scientists are presenting research on subjects ranging from genetics and microbiology to global warming and organic farming during the five-day conference.
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