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Monday, April 27, 2009
Chocolate Doubts
By Jean Kelsey
I find it amusing when I tell someone in person about healthy chocolate and the benefits that a person *may receive by eating it. They mostly say, ‘Yeah right!’ while I continue to explain what it is and what it’s all about; then direct them to the Body By Chocolates website. They do read and the do watch the videos and then they eventually get back to me. What they then say is, ‘You gotta be kidding me!’ That is when I smile, look at them and say, ‘Nope, I am not kidding and I know you had your chocolate doubts!’
When a person who has chocolate doubts finally finds out what I was talking about it then becomes a huge benefit. This is because they are the ones who will be the people to publicize and help educate others who may also be in the dark and have chocolate doubts as well. Word of mouth is the best advertisement the experts say and I couldn’t agree with them more!
The best chocolate doubt people are the ones who are actually witnessing what it is doing for me while I continue to eat it. When I run into people I have not seen in a long time they just say 'WOW' in disbelief. They remember very well what my life used to be like!
To those who are out there and really can’t believe what they read or see with their own eyes, then I would surely welcome you to give yourself a chocolate challenge. Why not it a try for a month? You should have 3 a day and it can't be hard for a chocolate lover to enjoy 3 a day, everday guilt free! The road to feeling as good as you do at this moment and knowing it can get even better is for the person who had chocolate doubts.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Weight Loss And Diet Plans
By Jean Kelsey
I don’t know about you but my feelings are there are way too many fad diets out there! We have gone through the Atkins stage, the South Beach stage and many more that are too numerous to list. With so many diets out there how can anyone be sure ‘this will work for them?’ You may dump a lot of money to ‘learn’ what a new diet has to offer you, but what if it is not for you? You have just spent that hard earned cash on another weight loss and diet plans!
The key to having anyone lose weight is by heading back to the basics. Learn how to eat in proportion, maybe even learn how to cut foods out of your life that have become a part of your life that you know are not good for you.
My struggle in life has been my sweet tooth. Having been a Type 2 diabetic I would count my carbs and make sure that I would be able to savor my chocolate after my meals. The weight loss and diet plan I followed worked. There were times I did feel deprived but had just learned how to live my life as a diabetic. Eating right will help you lose weight!
Healthy chocolate has helped curb my appetite, too! It is diabetic friendly, gluten free, vegan and kosher. I feel it has helped *taken the cravings for sweets away. I have climbed a huge mountain and overcome the cravings with healthy chocolate. The entire concept of healthy chocolate is simple yet effective 'replace the good with the bad'.
If you have tried just about everything and have not had any success, try eating several small meals a day and increase your water intake. Change the size of your dinner plate. Start eating off the little plates rather than the bigger dinner plates. Buy a scale, learn what a ‘portion size’ really is and start measuring. Once you figure out what a real portion size is you are off and running! These simple and easy steps may help you with weight loss and it is an attainable diet plan.
To learn more about healthy chocolates, please stop by and visit Body By Chocolates.com today!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.
Monday, April 13, 2009
My Stupid Crazy Sweets Cravings Satisfied
I think it all started at a very young age when my body craved sweets. As the years went on I narrowed down my stupid crazy sweets cravings and satisfied them with chocolate! It didn’t matter what kind of chocolate because I thought chocolate was chocolate. My stupid crazy sweets cravings held me hostage and would never stop.
I tried different ways to stop these stupid sweets cravings and these options never worked. Each month when my body would go into PMS mode it was not a matter of just getting chocolate, my body said ‘find chocolate now!’ I would be sad if I couldn’t find chocolate and it was a very real physical and emotional thing for me.
My family never had a problem trying to figure out what to get me for a present because it was always chocolate! They would joke with me and say things like ‘don’t eat it all in one day now, ok?’ They would go to the finest chocolate stores and buy me two pounds of the stuff, and I would try very hard to make it last for at a couple of weeks. Yes, that is how bad my stupid crazy sweets cravings were!
Here we are in April of 2009 and I cannot believe I am going to say this but it is true, my stupid crazy sweets cravings are satisfied! How? I found Healthy Chocolate! So what! you may be saying? Well, this chocolate is one of the purest chocolates made and just by letting one melt in my mouth *stopped all those stupid crazy sweets cravings! Yes! For real! I cannot believe that I am no longer being held prisoner by my cravings and I thought I would never ever see this day, but it has arrived!
Why not give healthy chocolates a try? Just let one of these Healthy Chocolates melt in your mouth. Savor the flavor. See how long it will take for one to melt. It is pure heaven!
I am really glad that I have finally found a way to stop my stupid crazy sweets cravings with healthy chocolate. Why? I no longer have to worry about gaining weight, possibly having any cavities and I am not being held hostage by my stupid cravings anymore. Life is good! *Explore the world of healthy chocolate and you might just experience the taming of stupid crazy sweets cravings like I did.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
More About Yummy Chocolate
When I found I could try healthy chocolate and just pay for the shipping and handling, I figured what the heck! I chose the Chocolate Protein Bar and it only took a few days for it to arrive. Our mail arrives just after the lunch hour or about 1pm. I needed to leave and pick up my kids at school so I left the bar on the kitchen counter. Keep reading to learn more about yummy chocolate :)
When I got home and opened the chocolate bar I asked them both if they wanted to try it, too. My oldest was loaded down with homework and just headed off to her room but my youngest said ‘yes, I would like to try some please.’ She took a bite and said ‘YUM this does taste good.’ She headed off to start her homework. But before she left the room I said, 'Yeah, this does taste really good!' That was around 315pm. I usually start my dinner by 4pm but because I was not hungry I forgot to start dinner. At around 5pm my oldest came in and said, ‘When will dinner be ready?’ OHHHHH I forgot to start it because I am not hungry! She wasn't too pleased with me. I guess I should have held off on eating that power bar until the next day, but I was anxious to try it and I didn't know it would affect me that way.
About a week and a half ago my younger daughter who tried the chocolate bar with me walked into the room and said, ‘Mom, where are those chocolate bars? You know the one you let me have a bite of?’ I said ‘OH that was the ‘try it’ I sent away for on that web site. She was disappointed because I didn’t have anymore. She and I really enjoyed the taste of the healthy chocolate so much that I jumped on board with Body By Chocolates. We now have a steady supply of chocolates and we are getting paid to eat them! *The best part is that I know I am giving my family healthy yummy chocolate. Now that you know more about yummy chocolate, why not try it for yourself and see!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Healthy Chocolate: Why Is Dark Chocolate Healthy
Healthy Chocolate: Why Is Dark Chocolate Healthy
Do you like chocolate?
If you are like most in our culture then you do.
Unfortunately most chocolate is not defined as healthy chocolate but rather candy. However, there are dark chocolates that are much better for you to consume.
Why is dark chocolate healthy while other chocolates aren’t?
For starters, dark chocolate is processed differently than other chocolate. The closure you can get to a products natural condition the better that product will be for you. By and large, dark chocolate strives to present you with a chocolate that is as close as possible to its original state.
Unfortunately most dark chocolate still contains waxes and fillers that are not good for the body. Healthy chocolate makes the difference here by being cold pressed instead of processed and yet it still tastes delicious.
Dark chocolates also contain abundant amounts of antioxidants and flavanoids, a fact for which my favorite healthy chocolate leads the pack.
My favorite healthy chocolate also contains a healthy portion of acai berries while holding the Brunswick seal of approval and incredibly high ORAC values. Simply put, my favorite healthy chocolate has made dark chocolate a serious contributor to essential food groups while leaving it’s status as a candy in the dust. You might think they must need to sacrifice taste to arrive at ultimate health, but fortunately you would be incorrect.
Therefore, if you are looking for a product with high antioxidants and flavanoids plus low sugars content and other junk you owe it to yourself to check out healthy chocolate. Once you learn the truth of why is dark chocolate good for you it will be time to indulge without the associated guilt.
So next time your compelled to compare life to a box of chocolate, just make sure it’s deliciously nutritious healthy dark chocolate.
This article provided by the creator of Body By Chocolates.
Medicinal & Nutritional Value Of Chocolate
Medicinal & nutritional value of chocolate explored by scientists
Mars, Incorporated release
February 9, 2006
Info from: http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0209-cacao.html
For more info about this please visit Body By Chocolates
The cocoa plant (Theobroma cacao) holds tremendous potential to impact public health and improve the socioeconomic and ecological landscape of the countries where it's grown, according to leading world scientists who convened at the National Academies today to examine the latest scientific advances in cocoa research.
Building on the first-ever cocoa science symposium held at The National Academies in 2004, today's symposium brought together a multi-disciplinary international group of scientists from the public and private sectors to review the most recent scientific advances related to cocoa - from its potential to improve public health to its role in preserving the tropical ecosystems where cocoa is grown.
"This symposium highlights the surprisingly diverse and positive role that cocoa can potentially play in improving public health and reinvigorating endangered tropical ecosystems," said symposium co-chair Alan Bennett, PhD, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis. "It also highlights the impact that collaborative efforts among public and private sector scientists from research centers such as Harvard, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, University of California, Davis, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Mars, Incorporated, among others, can have in a relatively short time."
Symposium co-chair Helmut Sies, MD, Professor at Heinrich-Heine University in Germany added, "Based on the exciting research findings presented today and published recently in leading scientific journals, we are witnessing an explosion of cocoa science that has the potential to change the lives of people in terms of their health and their ability to impact the environment."
Norman Hollenberg, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, presented epidemiological findings that suggest flavanol-rich foods, such as specific cocoas, could provide an unexpectedly large benefit in the management of the two most common causes of death in today's world: cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Leaf of the cacao plant. Courtesy of the USDA.
Theobroma Cacao: The Tree of Change
The National Academies
Washington, DC
February 9-10, 2006
Summaries of Key Presentations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE:
-- Cocoa Flavanols, Nitric Oxide and Endothelial Function
Expert: Norman Hollenberg, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School
Study of an indigenous population off the coast of Panama have yielded preliminary data to indicate that flavanol-rich foods may provide an extraordinary benefit in the management of the most common causes of death in today's world - heart disease and cancer. The risk of death from heart disease was 1,280% higher and for cancer, 630% higher for the population that no longer consumed large quantities of flavanol-rich cocoa.
-- Cocoa Flavanols: Bioactive Nutrients Beyond Antioxidants?
Experts: Hagen Schroeter, PhD, University of California, Davis; Harold Schmitz, PhD, Mars, Incorporated
This new study identifies the flavanol, (-)epicatechin, as one of the bioactive nutrients in cocoa that can improve the ability of blood vessels to relax. Additionally, the cardiovascular function benefits observed following consumption of a flavanol-rich cocoa are not likely dependent on so-called antioxidant effects.
COCOA SUSTAINABILITY - PLANT SCIENCE:
-- Integrating Genomics into an Applied Cacao Breeding Program
Expert: Raymond Schnell, PhD, USDA-ARS
A collaboration between USDA-ARS and Mars, Incorporated resulted in an accelerated cacao breeding program applying modern genomic science to accelerate traditional breeding techniques to find disease-resistant new plant material.
COCOA SUSTAINABILITY - SOCIOECONOMICS & ECOLOGY:
Expert: Howard Yana-Shapiro, PhD, Mars, Incorporated
-- Cultivating Diversity: The Role of Cacao Agroforestry Systems in Rural Economic Growth and Conservation of Biodiversity
From a compilation of experiences, long-term research and opportunities with cacao agroforestry systems and forest landscape management, recommendations are made to farmers, communities, local authorities, governments and industry which may be employed to develop more sustainable supplies of cocoa.
-- Cocoa Farming Made More Profitable through the Sustainable Tree Crops Program
STCP, the first of its kind public-private partnership, is identifying technologies, approaches and mechanisms to enhance the economic and social well-being of smallholders and the environmental sustainability of tree crop farms. Farmer Field Schools have been credited with bringing increased productivity gains and increased cocoa income.
-- The African Research Infrastructure: Is There a Role for Cocoa Research?
In West Africa, cocoa is one of the most important export crops, and cocoa research and a sustainable production strategy are key to helping poverty alleviation and protecting endangered tropical ecosystems.
HISTORY OF COCOA
-- Cocoa and Chocolate during the American Revolution Era
Expert: Louis Grivetti, PhD, University of California, Davis
A rich history of chocolate consumption has been uncovered throughout North America during the Colonial, Revolutionary and Early American eras. Newly examined documents reveal the importance of chocolate with many notable individuals and groups of these periods, including those in the military for health and medical uses.
Theobroma Cacao: The Tree of Change
The National Academies
Washington, DC
February 9-10, 2006
Summaries of Key Presentations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE:
-- Cocoa Flavanols, Nitric Oxide and Endothelial Function
Expert: Norman Hollenberg, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School
Study of an indigenous population off the coast of Panama have yielded preliminary data to indicate that flavanol-rich foods may provide an extraordinary benefit in the management of the most common causes of death in today's world - heart disease and cancer. The risk of death from heart disease was 1,280% higher and for cancer, 630% higher for the population that no longer consumed large quantities of flavanol-rich cocoa.
-- Cocoa Flavanols: Bioactive Nutrients Beyond Antioxidants?
Experts: Hagen Schroeter, PhD, University of California, Davis; Harold Schmitz, PhD, Mars, Incorporated
This new study identifies the flavanol, (-)epicatechin, as one of the bioactive nutrients in cocoa that can improve the ability of blood vessels to relax. Additionally, the cardiovascular function benefits observed following consumption of a flavanol-rich cocoa are not likely dependent on so-called antioxidant effects.
COCOA SUSTAINABILITY - PLANT SCIENCE:
-- Integrating Genomics into an Applied Cacao Breeding Program
Expert: Raymond Schnell, PhD, USDA-ARS
A collaboration between USDA-ARS and Mars, Incorporated resulted in an accelerated cacao breeding program applying modern genomic science to accelerate traditional breeding techniques to find disease-resistant new plant material.
COCOA SUSTAINABILITY - SOCIOECONOMICS & ECOLOGY:
Expert: Howard Yana-Shapiro, PhD, Mars, Incorporated
-- Cultivating Diversity: The Role of Cacao Agroforestry Systems in Rural Economic Growth and Conservation of Biodiversity
From a compilation of experiences, long-term research and opportunities with cacao agroforestry systems and forest landscape management, recommendations are made to farmers, communities, local authorities, governments and industry which may be employed to develop more sustainable supplies of cocoa.
-- Cocoa Farming Made More Profitable through the Sustainable Tree Crops Program
STCP, the first of its kind public-private partnership, is identifying technologies, approaches and mechanisms to enhance the economic and social well-being of smallholders and the environmental sustainability of tree crop farms. Farmer Field Schools have been credited with bringing increased productivity gains and increased cocoa income.
-- The African Research Infrastructure: Is There a Role for Cocoa Research?
In West Africa, cocoa is one of the most important export crops, and cocoa research and a sustainable production strategy are key to helping poverty alleviation and protecting endangered tropical ecosystems.
HISTORY OF COCOA
-- Cocoa and Chocolate during the American Revolution Era
Expert: Louis Grivetti, PhD, University of California, Davis
A rich history of chocolate consumption has been uncovered throughout North America during the Colonial, Revolutionary and Early American eras. Newly examined documents reveal the importance of chocolate with many notable individuals and groups of these periods, including those in the military for health and medical uses.
A long-time collaborator with Mars, Hollenberg studied two populations of Kuna Indians. The indigenous Kuna Indians living on a chain of islands near Panama still drink large quantities of a homemade, flavanol-rich cocoa every day. In contrast, the Kuna Indians who migrated from the islands and live in and around Panama City consume little cocoa, and the cocoa they do consume is commercially processed and relatively low in flavanols.
In data obtained from death certificates, Hollenberg found that the Kuna Indians living on the islands had significantly lower rates of heart disease and cancer. The relative risk of death from heart disease on the Panama mainland was 1,280 percent higher than on the islands, and death from cancer was 630 percent higher.
"Our results indicate that a flavanol-rich diet may provide an extraordinary benefit in the reduction of the two deadliest diseases in today's world," said Hollenberg, who has been working with the Kuna Indians for more than 10 years. "Though preliminary, the data collected thus far are striking in terms of both risk reduction and potential public health significance. Further research is clearly warranted to conclusively define the relationship between consumption of dietary flavanols and incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer in this population, as well as others."
Previous research by Harvard's Hollenberg and scientists from UKA Aachen and Heinrich-Heine University in Germany, the University of California, Davis and Mars, Incorporated published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), January 24, 2006, found that the island-dwelling Kuna Indians had significantly higher levels of flavanols in their bloodstream, as well as higher levels of nitric oxide metabolites - a marker for normal blood vessel function and healthy blood flow. In addition, this study was the first to provide direct evidence that a specific nutrient in cocoa, the flavanol (-)epicatechin, can help improve blood vessel relaxation, which is an important factor in cardiovascular health.
Hagen Schroeter, PhD, faculty member at UC, Davis, and Christian Heiss, MD, at UC, San Francisco, co-authors on the study published in PNAS, presented additional new data at today's symposium demonstrating that the cardiovascular benefits observed following consumption of a flavanol-rich cocoa are not merely dependent on so-called antioxidant effects. "The concept that the benefits derived from cocoa consumption are solely related to antioxidant properties represent a view that is not accurate," said Schroeter. "Furthermore, most of the flavanols present in plasma have been altered by the body following consumption, and are known to have even less antioxidant potential than their parent flavanols. Therefore, the specific flavanol content and composition of cocoa, and the cardiovascular activities they exhibit beyond their antioxidant effects, are far more interesting and important to public health researchers."
New data presented at today's meeting resulting from a research collaboration between Mars, Incorporated and the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences further emphasizes the interesting bioactivity that cocoa flavanols can exhibit. "Working with cocoa scientists from Mars, Incorporated, we were able to demonstrate in model systems that certain cocoa flavanols have the potential to inhibit biochemical pathways that can cause inflammation, which is a process that can contribute to cardiovascular disease and other health issues," said Dr. Dongmei Chen, one of the study's co-authors.
Analytical data presented by Mars, Incorporated - world leaders for many years in understanding how to best measure flavanols in cocoa and other plant foods - demonstrated that antioxidant measures commonly used by many researchers and food manufacturers are not accurate when compared to validated primary measures.
"Taken together, it is clear that cocoa flavanols go well beyond the general class of nutrients called antioxidants in terms of their effect on cardiovascular function," said Harold Schmitz, PhD, Chief Science Officer of Mars, Incorporated and a co-author on the study. "The evidence base is such that scientists should stop referring to cocoa flavanols as antioxidants, and should most certainly stop estimating cocoa flavanol content using antioxidant capacity methodologies that are inherently flawed and misleading to clinical researchers and health professionals." Schmitz heads up the global cocoa science research portfolio at Mars, Incorporated, which has collaborated on studies at Harvard, Heinrich-Heine University, University of California, Davis, USDA-ARS, University of Nottingham and many other leading research institutions around the world.
Rare for science programs in today's industrial environment, Mars has been committed to cocoa science investments for more than 15 years, and this investment has resulted in world-leading innovations such as a proprietary method of processing cocoa called Cocoapro(R). This patented technology - which helps retain the naturally occurring flavanols - is used to make unique cocoa ingredients for Dove(R) Dark Chocolate and the new heart-healthy snack CocoaVia(TM). Mars identified the need for this innovation because traditional cocoa processing methods often destroy these bioactive nutrients.
Carl Keen, PhD, Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis, who has also collaborated on a number of cocoa flavanol studies, chaired the session exploring the link between cocoa flavanols and cardiovascular health in which Hollenberg and Schroeter, along with Joseph Spence, PhD, USDA-ARS, presented their new findings. Keen said people often forget that cocoa is derived from a plant, and they don't realize that cocoa contains similar healthful nutrients found in fruit and vegetables. For example, the flavanol (-)epicatechin - a nutrient especially abundant in certain cocoas - is also found in certain fruit and vegetables, such as apples and grapes.
"The new insights into the bioactivity of cocoa flavanols revealed during the symposium today add new and important pieces of information that will help us understand why diets rich in fruit and vegetables promote cardiovascular health," Keen said. "Nutrition experts have been telling people for years that fruit and vegetables are good for our hearts. Now scientists are taking the next step by identifying exactly which nutrients may be beneficial and exactly why they are."
Using Cocoa Science to Make a Positive Difference for the Farmer
In addition to breaking research in the area of cardiovascular health, presentations highlighted new opportunities for cocoa to provide social, economic and environmental benefits to the millions of farmers who depend on this unique crop for their livelihoods. Every year, many cocoa farmers lose a third or more of this fragile crop due to pests and diseases - or simply because of a lack of appropriate training, the use of rudimentary farming techniques, or other challenges.
A large proportion of the world-leading cocoa science portfolio of Mars continues to be dedicated to improving the lives of cocoa farmers and their surrounding environments in the three main cocoa growing regions of the world - West Africa, the Americas and Southeast Asia. For decades, Mars has been at the forefront of unique public/private partnerships that create new ecological and socioeconomic opportunities for the millions of farmers throughout the tropics who depend on cocoa for their livelihood.
Partnerships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and others have focused on providing science and developing programs to promote sustainable, responsible cocoa farming. Projects have helped to improve farmer incomes, enhance productivity and conserve tropical forest ecosystems.
"Our science partnership with Mars has demonstrated the potential in some exciting new technologies for crop management," said Judy St. John, Deputy Administrator of USDA-ARS. "Together, we are working on environmentally safe solutions to control the pest and disease problems that wreak havoc on cocoa crops worldwide. One such solution seeks to introduce pheromones as a biological control attractant to trap invasive pests such as the cocoa pod borer, a primary threat to the Asian cocoa crop. Because pheromones are naturally produced, there is a benign effect on the environment."
The symposium highlighted other successful partnerships, including a program administered by Winrock International and supported by Mars that provides children in the Ivory Coast access to relevant agricultural education. The Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) - a public/private partnership supported by USAID, Mars and other industry members - provides on-the-ground farmer training in West African cocoa communities. The initial outcome of this pilot program resulted in the potential to increase incomes by 20 percent. This program is now serving as a model for industry-wide initiatives to educate farmers in cocoa-growing countries.
"It is extraordinary and gratifying to be with a company that has made this type of long-term commitment to science, to not only protect the environment and human health, but also to protect the farmers' economic livelihood - the cocoa tree. Mars is at the forefront of efforts that are truly making a difference for cocoa farmers, their families, and their communities," said Howard-Yana Shapiro, PhD, Director of Plant Science and External Research at Mars, Incorporated. "We are at the very beginning of a new era in cocoa - the crop has tremendous potential to help alleviate poverty and protect endangered tropical ecosystems."
About the Symposium
Theobroma Cacao: The Tree of Change was convened at the National Academies in Washington, DC. The co-sponsors of the symposium include: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Mars, Incorporated; Rabobank; Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Sustainable Tree Crops Program/International Institute for Tropical Agriculture; Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities; University of California-Davis; U.S. Agency for International Development; U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service; USDA Forest Service International Programs; and ICRAF, The World Agroforestry Centre.
A live audio conference from the symposium is available on Thursday, February 9, from 12:15pm - 1:15pm ET. Join the audio conference by dialing 866-850-2201 and use the confirmation code, 3619664.
Mars, Incorporated, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a privately-held company with a strong commitment to science-based research. With well over 15 years of research into the health benefits of cocoa flavanols, and decades of research invested into improving the cocoa plant and farming techniques, Mars, Incorporated has become the global leader in cocoa science. For more information, visit www.cocoapro.com. For more information about Mars cocoa sustainability program, visit www.cocoasustainability.mars.com.
Medicinal & Nutritional Value Of Chocolate
Can Healthy Chocolate Heal Tooth Decay?
Can healthy chocolate heal tooth decay?
Visit Body By Chocolates for more information about healthy chocolate & tooth decay.
Chocolate 'fights' tooth decay
Tooth decay is a major problem among UK children
Chocolate can protect against tooth decay, researchers have found.
It is so successful in combating decay that scientists believe some of its components may one day be added to mouthwash or toothpaste.
A study carried out by researchers at Osaka University in Japan found that parts of the cocoa bean, the main ingredient of chocolate, thwart mouth bacteria and tooth decay.
They discovered that the cocoa bean husk - the outer part of the bean which usually goes to waste in chocolate production - has an anti-bacterial effect on the mouth and can fight effectively against plaque and other damaging agents.
Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in the mouth turn sugar to acids, which eat away at the tooth's surface and cause cavities.
The Japanese scientists found that chocolate is less harmful than many other sweet foods because the antibacterial agents in cocoa beans offset its high sugar levels.
They tested their theory on rats by adding an extract of cocoa bean husk (CBH) to their drinking water. Another group was infected with streptococcus mutans bacteria, which contributes to plaque and tooth decay. They were also fed a high-sugar diet.
After three months, the study found that the rates with the high sugar diet had 14 cavities on average compared to just six cavities for those who received cocoa bean husk in their diet.
The researchers are now planning to test their findings on humans.
Speaking to New Scientist magazine, Takashi Ooshima, from Osaka University, said their findings could lead to new treatments for tooth decay.
"It may be possible to use CBH extract in a mouthwash, or supplement it to a toothpaste."
It could even be put back into chocolate to make it better for teeth, he said.
David Beighton at the Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Dental Institute in London thinks that the active substances found in cocoa bean husks are also found in other plants, like chewing sticks used in Africa.
"They certainly have effects but good oral hygiene, rather than eating lots of chocolate, is the way to good healthy teeth."
A spokeswoman for the British Dental Association said: "If it's true that chocolate does help reduce dental decay and cavities that can only be a good thing, but you must remember that chocolate contains sugar.
"Our advice remains the same: if people want to eat sugary sweets and drinks they should limit them to meal times, and visit their dentist regularly."
"They certainly have effects but good oral hygiene, rather than eating lots of chocolate, is the way to good healthy teeth."
A spokeswoman for the British Dental Association said: "If it's true that chocolate does help reduce dental decay and cavities that can only be a good thing, but you must remember that chocolate contains sugar.
"Our advice remains the same: if people want to eat sugary sweets and drinks they should limit them to meal times, and visit their dentist regularly."
The Japanese scientists found that chocolate is less harmful than many other sweet foods because the antibacterial agents in cocoa beans offset its high sugar levels.
They tested their theory on rats by adding an extract of cocoa bean husk (CBH) to their drinking water. Another group was infected with streptococcus mutans bacteria, which contributes to plaque and tooth decay. They were also fed a high-sugar diet.
After three months, the study found that the rates with the high sugar diet had 14 cavities on average compared to just six cavities for those who received cocoa bean husk in their diet.
The researchers are now planning to test their findings on humans.
Speaking to New Scientist magazine, Takashi Ooshima, from Osaka University, said their findings could lead to new treatments for tooth decay.
"It may be possible to use CBH extract in a mouthwash, or supplement it to a toothpaste."
It could even be put back into chocolate to make it better for teeth, he said.
David Beighton at the Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Dental Institute in London thinks that the active substances found in cocoa bean husks are also found in other plants, like chewing sticks used in Africa.
"They certainly have effects but good oral hygiene, rather than eating lots of chocolate, is the way to good healthy teeth."
A spokeswoman for the British Dental Association said: "If it's true that chocolate does help reduce dental decay and cavities that can only be a good thing, but you must remember that chocolate contains sugar.
"Our advice remains the same: if people want to eat sugary sweets and drinks they should limit them to meal times, and visit their dentist regularly."
"They certainly have effects but good oral hygiene, rather than eating lots of chocolate, is the way to good healthy teeth."
A spokeswoman for the British Dental Association said: "If it's true that chocolate does help reduce dental decay and cavities that can only be a good thing, but you must remember that chocolate contains sugar.
"Our advice remains the same: if people want to eat sugary sweets and drinks they should limit them to meal times, and visit their dentist regularly."
Reprinted from information found on http://www.chocolaterave.com/id109.html
BBC News
Thursday, 24 August, 2000, 07:51 GMT 08:51 UK
Can healthy chocolate heal tooth decay?
Avoid Chrionic Health Problems By Eating Chocolate
Avoid chrionic health problems by eating chocolate
letter from Dr. Warren,
Our country is fat! We are facing more and more chronic health problems because of the massive weight we are carrying around. It is estimated that more than 3/4 of the country is obese and this rate is not slowing down. There have been major efforts to educate the public about the dangers of weight gain but the rate still is increasing. The interesting fact is that, though we talk a great story about losing weight and eating properly, our actions are to the contrary. Our children are facing a crisis. They are eating themselves to death. The USA is the fattest country in the world, but be assured the rest of the world is catching up just as fast as they adopt the Western diet.
The rates of chronic diseases are increasing as we face more heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. Nutrition plays a major role in the development of these diseases and we can, to a degree, control our fate. What we put into our bodies and our activity levels are vital in determining the extent of chronic disease we will face. We are in control of our health but we need some help and assistance to accomplish this or else all of us would be thin and healthy. There have been thousands of diets presented to our country and there seems to be no good solution to the problem. Focusing on dieting has led to increased weight gain and further problems. Dieting is related to the word die and that is exactly what is happening. We need to focus on living and changing our unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors. Education is the key to making these simple lifestyle changes and even a small, simple change can lead to a very positive outcome. The bottom line is this, to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. If you are able to learn simple practices that will allow you to incorporate a lifestyle that accomplishes this simple fact then you will be healthier and be able to shed those unwanted pounds
Dieting is associated with deprivation and making major sacrifices. We have all started thousands of diet plans and most of us have all failed. We fail because we focus on how much we eat for a short period of time and we do not make necessary lifestyle changes. This is only a temporary fix and thus we face the “yo-yo diet” syndrome. This syndrome of losing weight, then gaining it back, and then losing it again, only leads to failure and depression. Dieting is the wrong approach to solving this problem. Why? The answer is that as we eat less food our body thinks it is being starved and it slows down our metabolism and naturally holds onto the fat for the future. Dieting can also cause muscles, that burn fat, to shrink and, with the wrong diet, you actually, lose muscle mass which in turn slows down your metabolism. We are already facing muscle mass loss as we age so why speed up that loss with dieting. The variety of low this or low that diets actually harm the body by restricting nutrients that are needed for a healthy body. Restricting one nutrient or increasing another nutrient doesn't fix the problem - it is only a temporary fix and a poor one at best. To function at the highest level we need the appropriate nutrients - protein, fiber, good fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, water, and antioxidants. Even calorie counting can lead to problems. You can be on an 1800 calorie diet, but if it is the wrong type of food like fried foods or high fat foods, it does not matter that you have restricted the calories; you will not be successful in improving your health. We want to maintain an appropriate weight to feel better and to have a great quality of life. Dieting might give you a temporary appropriate weight but you still would be in poor health. Counting calories is not the entire process. We need to understand the types of food, our bodies' metabolism rate, and how we feel in order to ensure weight loss and improved health.
The solution is a living plan which helps us choose appropriate foods, increase our metabolic rate, strengthen our activity level, and create a lifestyle which we can live everyday. This living plan does not include starving ourselves, torturing ourselves, or uprooting our whole life. It is a simple plan to change a few habits, make a few better choices, and incorporate a new way of approaching life. You can do this without pain. You will have a few failure days but you will learn to turn them into successful days. Learn it, feel it, and live it is the basis of a lifestyle change not a diet.
As a physician I have witnessed the struggles many people have with weight. I personally lost over 100 pounds in a year and know first hand how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off. I have had the opportunity to study nutrition, weight loss, and exercise and have seen numerous people try every diet possible without success. Those who lose weight and keep it off are those who change their lifestyle. When you change your lifestyle the weight takes care of itself. I also have had numerous people write to me after starting cocoa products with stories of weight loss. It is amazing to me to see people lose a lot of pounds after only eating the right type of unprocessed cocoa.
As you follow these steps with me, we will be able to improve the quality of our lives. Live it is my goal. Join with me in making it yours.
Sincerely,
Steven E Warren, MD DPA
FABFP FABHPM FAPWCA
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