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August 29th, 2011
04:10 AM ET
Semi-sweet news for chocolate loversEditor's note: Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: The Last Heart Attack at 8p and 11p ET on Saturday, September 3rd. If only everything that looked good, felt good, or tasted good was good for us too. It comes as more welcome news for chocolate lovers, then, that yet another study has linked chocolate consumption with improved heart health. Maybe. Researchers at the University of Cambridge analyzed the results of seven existing studies and concluded that high levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a notable reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. Five of the seven studies reported a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumptions and the risk of cardiovascular events. They found that “the highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke, compared with the lowest levels [of consumption].” The studies, notably, did not differentiate between dark or milk chocolate and included consumption of different types of chocolate (bars, shakes, etc.) "The observations represent associations, not cause and effect," says Alice Lichtenstein, director and senior scientist at Tufts University's Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory. "The results of the evidence review provide support for conducting controlled intervention trials using well-defined preparations of chocolate before we can determine the actual effect of chocolate on heart disease risk." By the year 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly 23.6 million people will die from heart disease. In CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s documentary “The Last Heart Attack,” Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. asserts that simply modifying one’s diet can make a person heart attack-proof in just one month. Should chocolate then be prescribed as part of this diet, which advocates the consumption of a plant-based food plan? A number of recent studies have shown that eating chocolate has a positive impact on human health, thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, namely reducing blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity. But here’s the caveat. Chocolate, as we all know, is full of calories, and eating too much of it could lead to weight gain, diabetes, or even heart disease – the very ailment some believe chocolate is working to prevent in the first place. The authors of the study stress that further testing is needed to determine whether chocolate actually causes this reduction in heart problems, or if the health benefits are instead better explained by some other unmeasured factor. "Were there compounds in cocoa that decrease heart risk," says Lichtenstein, "it will be important to identify them, isolate them, and determine the optimal dose and best route to administer them." One thing is clear. Chocolate does far more for our bodies than activate our taste buds. Given its apparent health benefits, some resources might now be shifted to exploring the fat and sugar contents of chocolate, and how we might go about lowering them. This new “superfood” would be quite sweet indeed.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
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They had me at 'chocolate.'
lol, me too
I've always loved chocolate... the darker, the better. It even helps with Dementors (if you know "Harry Potter").
Always thought it was good stuff. Then, it becomes more clear. Does a quote like:
"Were there compounds in cocoa that decrease heart risk," says Lichtenstein, "it will be important to identify them, isolate them, and determine the optimal dose and best route to administer them."
...sound like it came from Big Pharm ?
Or Big Pharm's "Final Solution"...
They're taking all the fun out of eating chocolate. It's sweet, delicious, and full of calories. I eat chocolate because it tastes good, not because it may/may not be good for me.
One out of every one people dies. I'm taking the chocolate with me.
I have been in one of Chicago spa and I have done some of Chocolate Signature Facial !! and i LOVED!!!
"The most exquisitely delicious facial in the city! Rich organic chocolate and luscious pomegranates give your skin a sweet anti-oxidant treat. Collagen eye mask helps repair connective tissue and stimulate cellular renewal – reduces wrinkles and fine lines Powerfully hydrating and firming, this super-charged, anti-aging facial can be customized for all skin types."
You have to try this !!!
http://chocolateforyourbody.com/
I have been in one of Chicago spa and I have done some of Chocolate Signature Facial !! and i LOVED!!!
"The most exquisitely delicious facial in the city! Rich organic chocolate and luscious pomegranates give your skin a sweet anti-oxidant treat. Collagen eye mask helps repair connective tissue and stimulate cellular renewal – reduces wrinkles and fine lines Powerfully hydrating and firming, this super-charged, anti-aging facial can be customized for all skin types."
You have to try this !!!
Chicago spa
I love the stuff; thankfully chocolate "loves" me back.
Chocolate is a health food!
As with all things... MODERATION, people.
I have one square a day of 72% cocoa, which is -one third of the "serving size" listed on the bar. I'd like to have more but there is too much fat in it.
Moderation kills. what's your definition of moderation? 5 chocolate bars a week instead of 12? "Moderation" is code word for "Lazy". Either eat it or don't. The average American definition of moderation is excess. That's why our "moderation" country became fat. I can't believe people would eat crap and feel like crap than eating well and feeling well. Nothing tastes as good as how healthy feels.
Sorry for your defective taste buds. I have eaten things that were 0rgasmically good.
i like to feel good and chocolate makes me feel good so score one for chocolate 😛
The cardiovascular related benefits they found are probably related to a separate study which demonstrated that people who consume chocolate tend to workout more than those who don't. It makes sense, if you eat something unhealthy, you should workout to compensate for the extra calories. If chocolate does have anti-oxidant effects then it's just a double-bonus!
Chocolate – especially best-quality chocolate, with high cocoa mass– gives far more satisfaction for fewer calories than, say, a sleeve of cookies or similar junk sweets. People who really appreciate good chocolate are more apt to eat smaller portions of it.
Do, Valentina!No, no! No Drool Please CC!Hi Ashley, now I would, but I know you are moving! Hope it goes well!Hi Jeanine, that's ok! I am glad you like them :)Thank you Haley, I will think about it. I have blbereruies in the fridge.Hi Neen, they would have been like after eights if I had put more mint in. This is actually how I described them to Graham. I do love after eights 😛
Another worthless observational study makes another unfounded conclusion. People need to understand that observing correlations can only be used to form a hypothesis, and never to draw conclusions or recommendations – not even through meta-analysis like this study. What is necessary now is a clinical study. Only then can you determine whether there is an actual cause.
Shame on the Franco for poor science. Just because it's popular in dietary science to draw conclusions from correlations doesn't mean it's valid.
I actually thought the article was pretty good about noting that correlation does not imply causation. It also ended by saying what you just commented, that clinical trials of chocolate are needed to establish any actual benefit from chocolate. So please forgive me if I don't understand why you're complaining.
II agree with you, Lindsay.
While there are certainly limits to correlative observational studies, they certainly are not "worthless." While proving causation is difficult with correlative studies (something that the article fairly pointed out), a well-designed correlative study can provide very strong evidence to support a hypothesis. By your logic, we have no evidence that seat belts save lives, because we have never done a double-blind study in which participants are randomly assigned to not wear seat belts.
Unfortunately, nutritional clinical studies are extremely difficult, because you would have to entirely control the food intake of participants. This can be done (I have been involved in studies where participants need to come to the research site for every meal and snack); the problem is that what it really relevant for nutrition is long-term effects, and obviously it is not feasible to perform such studies for the decades required to monitor such effects. Additionally, people cheat and eat things that they are not supposed to, so even clinical trials have sources of error.
I'd like to throw my name in the ring for the clinical study. Double blind, double dark chocolate.....mmmmmmmm....chocolate....
Can we please get out of grade school and expand our research capabilities a bit? Cocoa has benefits that have been observed for centuries (even before we contaminated it with sugar and emulsifiers). Cocoa powder can be bought – gasp – sugar free! Stick ONLY with DARK chocolate at 82% or higher; one ounce a day (which is really quiet enough to satisfy). Many "dark" chocolate brands are not really very "dark" at all. Keep it as pure as possible, being sure that the cocoa used is not contaminated with lead (as some is from growing near roads in countries that still allow leaded gas). Be sure the cocoa is harvested fair trade (meaning no slave labor). This matters greatly. A good 82 % dark will cost more, but at one ounce a day, it's a good investment. Also don't depend solely on cocoa. Get LOTS of color from all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The fiber from produce matters just as much as the color.
Well put ... I think you hit the nail on the head.
I agree. Also, usually the higher the cocoa percentage, the less I want to eat anyway. It is not addictive like the sweet kind of chocolate.
Amen!
I eat a couple of squares a day of low sugar, extremely dark chocolate (88%). I've given some to friends and family, at first they could not handle it "too bitter, not sweet enough", but some of them later say "hey, I'm actually liking this, now the candy type of chocolate is too sweet for me". My gut feeling is the low cacao content, milk chocolate has minimal positive health impact.
Forget to mention in the above note that when purchasing cocoa powder, one can then use STEVIA to sweeten with milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc. Tofu, cocoa and walnut oil can make a nice "mousse" when whipped in a food processor. The 82% comes in when selecting chocolate bars. The higher the number, the less sugar. And the dark is an acquired taste. Test out different brands as each does have a different character. There are many places to get chocolate but the supermarket is probably not going to carry much of an 82% or higher unless you ask them to stock it. You can compare different brands at sites such as Chocosphere.com - look ONLY for 82% – no less. And teeth still need to be rinsed well afterward. If enjoyed with NUTS, that stretches the treat, adds good fats and protein that help balance blood glucose. Again, though, only 82% or higher. It does matter greatly. You'll be surprised that one ounce is all you'll likely want. Enjoy.
I am pretty much that way with 72%.
>some resources might now be shifted to exploring the fat and sugar contents of chocolate, and how we might go about lowering them.
Your fat bias is showing. The body needs fats, the body does not need sugars. Eat 'good' fats in a reasonable amount and cut way back on the sugars and you'll be healthier.
The body need essential fatty acids, and cocoa has almost none–about 3% of the fat is linoleic (omega-6). Cocoa fat is about 1/3 stearic acid (sat'd, but neutral effect on blood lipids), 1/3 oleic (mono-unsat'd, neutral effect on blood lipids), and about 25% palmitic (sat'd) which some research has implicated in raising LDL cholesterol. Moderation is likely best, or cocoa powder, as it is far lower in fat than dark chocolate–~14% vs. 43% and you eat a lot less of it.
Correct. A colleague went on a totally fat-free diet and after just a few weeks, her skin and hair looked dreadful. Some amount of fat is necessary; most people eat way too much.
: আপনার এই কবিতাটি আমার খুব ভালো লেগেছে। আমি এই কবিতাটি সবুজ অঙ্গন লিটলম্যাগের আগামী সংখ্যায় ছাপতে পার? to see details .অবশ্যই যাবে।
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder from Ghiradelli has 55,653 ORAC. Wild blueberries are around 10,000. Chocolate in its pure form is a superfood beyond compare. Add a little peanut butter and you have a combination for superior absorption of the antioxidants...try it, you will no doubt love it.
sounds good!
So why the pics of fudge? Half of them are not even chocolate.
For the ORAC fanatics: don't lose sight of the forest here–chocolate is not going to fix everything that ails you, and besides, free radicals are needed for bodily defenses. Not wise to quench it all. Keep some perspective here.
Great point on the picture. Also, fudge has a TON of fat.
I use cocoa powder frequently- mixed with bananas which naturally sweetens it. I'd love for them to come out with a reduced fat and sugar chocolate! Sounds like a superfood to me. I'm looking into buying hershey special dark cocoa powder- it's probably delicious.
>a reduced fat and sugar chocolate!
Why wait? Make your own. Melt baker's chocolate and add as much cocoa powder as you want and as much sugar (or Splenda) as desired. Then allow to harden and enjoy–if you can. It may be disgustingly bitter and have a so-so mouthfeel. 😉
No, thanks. I already listed my method with cocoa powder and bananas- I like my healthy idea that works for me, not something that sounds disgusting.
My point was that if you got what you asked for ("I'd love for them to come out with a reduced fat and sugar chocolate! Sounds like a superfood to me."), it would likely be disgusting.
To the dismay of the sports drink industry, it has been shown that drinking low-fat chocolate milk is better for your health AND your athletic performance than Gatorade or any of the sports drinks. You can read about it at: http://wannabuddy.blogspot.com/2011/07/chocolate-milk-and-your-body.html
chocolate potentially the new "superfood?" how exciting... I hope there is more research done on this...
It's hard to find raw chocolate in a small town, but when I can get my hands on it, it's amazing. I wish it was more widely distributed. I'd probably use it in many dishes, both sweet and savory.
this is just an excuse for fat folks to eat more candy
"Given its apparent health benefits, some resources might now be shifted to exploring the fat and sugar contents of chocolate, and how we might go about lowering them. This new “superfood” would be quite sweet indeed."
This new superfood is unsweetened cocoa. You can buy it at the grocery store and use it in baking, or drink it with skim milk.
Just goes to show how much CNN does their research. The research has already been done. There is nothing to be gained if the chocolate you consume is loaded with the usual milk fat and sugar, in fact it can make things worse. You have to eat the pure chocolate for this to work, and that my friends, is not as palatable proposition....
Chocolate... semi-sweet... about 70% is served best with a red Medec or Cabernet-Sovignon. give more of the chocolate to your girlfriend over candle light. Perhaps even melt some over ripened strawberries and hand feed them to her. You might get some loving thereafter..... The resulting physical activity will result in an elevated heart rate, comperable to any aerobic activity, and the natural release of hormones that provide and equal to any runners high. The result usually is medically proven to be a highly mind-tempering state.....approved by psychologists worldwide.....
all right then! with my chocolate and vodka diet i'll live to 150
great news, I have a serious question to present. If Monsanto GM crosses by pollination into the chocolate trees around the world will the health benefit change?
yeap am so glad to hear dis
Looks like the doctors in Woody Allen's The Sleeper were right:
"You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or... hot fudge? "
"Those were thought to be unhealthy... precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true. "
How about pure cocoa capsules? Wouldn't that be a better alternative than the sugar and fat in chocolate?
"Given its apparent health benefits, some resources might now be shifted to exploring the fat and sugar contents of chocolate, and how we might go about lowering them." Do you have any evidence that chocolate would have the same effect without as much fat and sugar?
i HAVE ALWAYS LOVED CHOCOLATE AND IF IT IS GOOD FOR BLOOD PRESSURE I'M FOR IT. HOWEVER, EVERYBODY KNOWS TO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.
This is great news. I love chocolate.
Also Sally.......... It's too much not to much.
humbug on the grammar police
The last three (3) paragraphs of this write-up say it all. What's this fuss about chocolate! We better watch out!
I can't wait until they say that plants love electrolytes. Idiots.
I can't belive all of u,its plain reserch that still needs workin on,positive critcim is best or else hoow do we acheive anything! That said,we all know that chocolate is bad especially in large proportion,dark or milky chocolate,cocoa or th rest(age long historical fact)my advice is:don't be fooled just yet give room for more research but for now am not fooled,fat in some parts of a womans body once added is very dificult to letgo off
They had me at queef.
I snort the cocoa powder like a man
This article also needs to include the benefits of chocolate. A recent study conducted at the University of California, San Diego further analyzes the effects of chocolate on humans. Granted, this article has a positive outlook on chocolate: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/how-chocolate-can-help-your-workout/
By chocolate, they are not talking about that delicious milk chocolate stuff pictured above, or white chocolate, which is not chocolate at all. They are talking about semi sweet to bitter chocolate, something like baker's chocolate. I am not a big chocolate fan, but I like it once in awhile. Still, this is like saying coffee is good for you and showing a Starbuck's strawberry cream frappuccino as an example of what you can indulge in ... mmmmmm
Great, give people more excuses to stuff their fat faces CNN!
Who paid for the study??
NOT me!
I love chocolate and eat it all the time, but it feels like the people writing these Pro-Chocolate articles are just trying to market chocolate.
Casi casi lelgamos!! espero que la próxima podamos elaborar un mejor proyecto. Queria comentar que en el proyecto de "Infusión", Isabel Godoy está mal escrito, puesto que "Isabel Godoy" es masculino, se llama Isbelio Godoy. Gracias por la mención!Mariano F. e Isbelio G.Los Muralistas
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