Thread: Chocolate Is a 'Super Fruit': Rich Source of Antioxidants

In fairness it's also a rich source of sugar.

Awesome news! sometimes I need my chocolate fix so bad I could bust out a line of hot cocoa mix

Only if you're eating the very Dark +70% kind or adding good quality cocoa powder to things you eat. A regular hershey's bar or a chocolate chip cookie don't even register.

Agree-very dark like 80-90% is best and has less sugar. The cocoa phenols are known to lower blood pressure.

Thanks for posting this information about chocolate being a super food. It is nice to know we an enjoy the sensation from chocolate without giving up our diet. Here are some other super foods that I did some research on in my blog post at 6 Whole Foods with Super-Healing Powers | Woodbury Wisdom.

I always add 1/2 or more spoon full of pure cocoa powder in my post WO shakes.

none of that chocolate in a package bar stuff.

What kind of cocoa powder you guys using in the shakes?

Originally Posted by NoCode8511

What kind of cocoa powder you guys using in the shakes?

Trader Joes' own brand doesn't seem bad nutritionally.

heavy stop trying to get everyone fat so you will feel good about yourself

So is it actually quite good for you to eat chocolate?

Originally Posted by NoCode8511

What kind of cocoa powder you guys using in the shakes?

I use Nestle Tool House Cocoa. 100% pure. It meant for baking.

chocolate is good for me

chocolate is nice,i love it

chocolate is delicious.

Originally Posted by LoveToLiftBig

In fairness it's also a rich source of sugar.

Dark chocolate (a small piece) can be beneficials but

1. the sugar and

2. difficulty in having just one small piece

is why I get my anti-oxidents elsewhere

I drink at least 3 cups of Green Tea a day, among other teas.

Originally Posted by LoveToLiftBig

In fairness it's also a rich source of sugar.

You need to draw a distinction between raw cacao and the more processed forms of chocolate (cacao plus sugar...).

Here are the Nutrition stats on the cacao nibs I get off amazon:

Serving Size 28g
Calories:130
Total Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat:0g
Total Carb: 10g
Dietary Fiber: 9g
Sugars: 0g
Protein: 4g

But you don't even need to read the label to realize how much of a difference there is between cacao and chocolate. Just eat some cacao. It's VERY bitter.

Toss it into a vanilla flavored protein shake. Easy peasy.

wow i bet all the fatties on here are loveing this.

dont belive everything you read even scientist get it wrong remeber they used to think smoking was good for you...


on the other hand have u tried that nesquick chocolate powder that stuff is amazing lol

Cocoa Rich in Health Benefits

Cocoa Consumption May Decrease Blood Pressure, Improve Cholesterol, Researchers Say
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD



March 23, 2011 -- Cocoa, used throughout history as a folk medicine, may actually have significant health benefits, according to a new study by Harvard researchers.

Their analysis of 21 studies with 2,575 participants shows that cocoa consumption is associated with decreased blood pressure, improved blood vessel health, and improvement in cholesterol levels, among other benefits.
Eric L. Ding, PhD, of Harvard Medical School says the apparent health benefits come from polyphenolic flavonoids in cocoa that have the potential to prevent heart disease. Flavonoids are antioxidants that are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, tea, wine, and coffee.

Cocoa Flavonoids Good for Cholesterol

In addition to decreasing blood pressure and improving blood vessel health, consumption of flavonoid-rich cocoa decreased “bad” LDL cholesterol among people under age 50, and increased good HDL cholesterol, the analysis showed.

Flavonoid-rich cocoa consumption also was linked to reductions in risk factors for diabetes -- a major risk factor itself for cardiovascular disease.
Also, resistance to the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar, favorably dropped among people who consumed flavonoid-rich cocoa, compared to people in comparison groups.

Further, consumption of flavonoid-rich cocoa did not change triglyceride levels of study participants or make them obese. Triglycerides are a type of blood fat that have been linked to coronary artery disease when levels are elevated above normal.

More Research Needed to Nail Down Benefits of Cocoa

Most of the previous studies analyzed were short-term research projects using mostly sugar-free, dark chocolate.

Ding and his colleagues say in the new study that because most chocolate is high in added sugar and fat, more research is needed to determine the risk-benefit effect on the heart health of eating commercially available chocolate.

Though past studies by Ding and others have found that cocoa may reduce heart attack risk, the dosage necessary to produce this effect is not known, and further research is needed to shed more light on that question, as well as on cocoa’s direct benefits on preventing strokes and heart attacks, according to a news release.

The new research is being presented in Atlanta at the American Heart Association’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2011 Scientific Sessions.

Cocoa Rich in Health Benefits

Originally Posted by TJTJ

I use Nestle Tool House Cocoa. 100% pure. It meant for baking.

are you mixing this with water ? i have been looking for something to mix that would make the shake not taste like shit, or maybe you could tell me a brand that has a better flavor.