Chocolate is Excellent for Cardiovascular Health
Chocolate is well-known as a powerful aphrodisiac to enhance your sexual ability. Furthermore, the largest observational study so far to examine the association between chocolate consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease has found that those who ate the most chocolate–around 7.5 g per day–had a 39% lower risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke than individuals who ate almost no chocolate (1.7 g per day) [1].
Cocoa Content is the Key
Lead author Dr. Brian Buijsse (German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal, Germany) told heartwire: “This shows that habitual consumption of chocolate is related to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke that is partly explained by blood-pressure reduction. The risk reduction is stronger for stroke than for MI, which is logical because it appears that chocolate and cocoa have a pronounced effect on BP [blood pressure], and BP is a higher risk factor for stroke than for MI.” Buijsse and colleagues report their findings online March 31, 2010 in the European Heart Journal.
Categories: PUBLIC HEALTH Tags: aphrodisiac, cardiovascular health, cocoa content in chocolate, dark chocolate, flavanol-rich chocolate, heart attacks, heart disease, myocardial infarction, nitric oxide, obesity epidemic, stroke
Fats: What You Should Know about It
Food Fats
Food fats or dietary fats are white or yellowish greasy material, found in both animals and plants. Pure fat lacks color, odor, and taste, and it exists both as a liquid and as a solid.
During digestion, fat is broken down in the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine, just past the stomach) to fatty acids and glycerol. As a food, its primary value and importance are as a fuel – a source of body energy. It is the most concentrated food we have, and it possesses more than twice the caloric value of carbohydrates or protein. Every ounce of fat has the same value as every other – whether it is an ounce of butter or an ounce of cottonseed oil. One type of fat, however, may be more easily assimilated, or absorbed, thus more accessible, than another. In northern America, the fats eaten most often are in the form of eggs, margarine, butter, meat, cream, nuts, and such oils as olive oil and vegetable oil.
Categories: NATUROPATHY, NUTRITION Tags: arteriosclerosis, cholesterol, fat, fatty acids, food fats, glycerol, heart attacks, highly refined carbohydrates, polysaturated fats, saturated fats, stroke, sugar, trans fats, unsaturaed fats