Friday, January 16, 2009

Getting A Better Body With Cocoa Health Products

By Chris Channing

It seems just about everyone growing up obtains a special obsession with chocolate. Children at younger ages are always told chocolate isn't good for them, but studies are now showing adults may be wrong if consuming chocolate is done in moderation and under the correct circumstances.

Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, which is the bulk of the benefit that consumers are obtaining by eating it. Antioxidants flush the body of negative influences, and helps the body maintain a hardy resilience that's hard to beat. A cup of hot cocoa, for instance, has been shown to improve blood flow, decrease "bad" cholesterol, and help out the immune system in many different methods.

The chocolate at your local convenience store isn't likely going to be the best choice when trying to reap the benefits previously mentioned. Instead, try finding a concentrated dark cocoa-based chocolate found in most confectionary shops. If nothing else can be found, most of the time a candy bar composed mostly of dark chocolate is a good choice. Check the fat and sugar contents just to be sure of the health benefit.

There have been reports of the stress reduction chocolate induces for quite some time, so it's worth mentioning this effect that chocolate has in general. Stress has been known to make a healthy immune system weak, and more prone to illness. Keeping stress down has become important in these times, and chocolate is one of the ways to take a break and escape to a lower stress level.

The shopping trip to the grocery store in search of the right type of chocolate will require two bits of knowledge. First, saturated fat levels should be as low as possible, and next that sugar levels should follow suit. This is usually going to be a tell-tale sign, judging by the color of the chocolate. A darker chocolate usually indicates a cocoa powder base, which is healthier than the counterpart.

Studies show that not a lot of cocoa is needed each day to get the benefits it offers. On average, a cup of hot cocoa is enough each day to get the benefit described. This equates to about two ounces of dark chocolate, but as few candy bars come in this size, try to span the consumption of the dark chocolate over a few days if need be.

In Conclusion

It certainly won't take any convincing to tell people to eat more chocolate- just remember to be wise about the ordeal and check the nutrition label before making a purchase. In addition, consume the cocoa in moderation so as to avoid any further problems with health. - 15437

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