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| Dr. Jerry Gore, M.D. |
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DR GORE'S HOLISTIC HEALTH LETTERS
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The Power of Chocolate
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APRIL 2007, #1 |
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All the years I've been guilty - not because of childhood trauma but because of the chocolate! Well things are different now because chocolate turns out to be good for certain people. Let's look into this cacao bean...
First - there are psychoactive compounds. One is called phenyl ethylamine(pea) which may have a stimulating effect on the brain similar to nicotine. Both nicotine and pea stimulate dopamine and therefore may affect brain chemistry and mood elevation. The consumption of chocolate may prevent sleepiness due to its Theobromine content.
Second, chocolate contains micronutrients such as potassium, iron magnesium, zinc and copper, and contains more iron than most vegetables!
Third, chocolate contains antioxidants - the helpful food chemicals that keep cells from being damaged in the oxidative process (think of an apple turning brown in the air. Think of heart disease, cancer and aging, all related to the negative effects of oxidation). The antioxidants in chocolate are called falconoid and are the same kind found in red wine and tea. Dark chocolate has the most followed by milk chocolate because dark has the most cocoa mass, less in milk chocolate and none in white chocolate. Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries, kale and broccoli!
Fourth, chocolate lowers cholesterol! Studies have shown that chocolate has lowered the "bad" cholesterol (ldl) while leaving the "good" one (hdl) unchanged. The explanation has linked the high flavinoid content which in turn serves to lessen both inflammation and oxidation. Chocolate is good for the heart, go figure!
So why have I been so guilty all these years, oh, maybe it's because of all the ungodly white sugar they put in to sweeten the bitter taste (thus contributing to 1 in 3 born today destined to develop diabetes) and trans fats for oils they use (thus contributing to the number 1 killer of men and women, heart disease.) So what to do?
Use figs and dates - hmmmm, too healthy? OK then try a product like Chocamaca from the Brazilian rain forest filled with fresh caco, vitamin C, herbs and sweetened with stein-a-cactus found native to the area.
Under the guidance of Carol Gore, M.S.W., and her interest in natural products, we now carry a whole line of natural rain forest products. Click here to order online. I can now have my chocolate guilt free, thank you. |
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