Do you have an irresistible craving for chocolate, one that you feel compelled to satisfy on a daily basis? If so, you're not alone, for chocolate seems to be a universally loved food. But what are the risks or benefits of indulging that craving?
In new research from Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Kris-Etherton set out to discover how chocolate impacts our health. For two months, the study's 23 participants ate an enviable, but carefully controlled diet that included chocolate pudding, chocolate cookies, brownies and chocolate milk, for a total of 22 grams of cocoa powder and 16 grams of dark chocolate a day.
Throughout the study, the participants' blood cholesterol levels were monitored to compare the effects of this chocolate diet with an average American diet containing the same amount of fiber, caffeine and other nutrients.
The results of the study revealed that levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, were 4 percent higher in those eating the chocolate. Levels of antioxidants, those natural anti-aging substances, were also upped an impressive 4 percent.
The researchers concluded that "the inclusion of dark chocolate and cocoa powder in a diet that is rich in other food sources of antioxidants, such as fruit, vegetables, tea and wine ... may consequently reduce the risk of heart disease."
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