No problem. Scientists may one day claim you
need the stuff to be at your healthiest.
It's a theory growing from a study of the diets of a small
Indian tribe in the Panamanian islands. High blood pressure is
virtually unheard of within the group. And tribe members drink
three or four 10-ounce servings of cocoa per day. Coincidence?
Killer Compounds
The Panamanian tribe doesn't drink run-of-the-mill cocoa. Because of
the gentle way they process their cocoa beans, their cocoa is
chock-full of epicatechin, a flavonoid that helps widen and relax
blood vessels. If the tribe's lack of high blood pressure (as well
as other diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer) does
turn out to be because of epicatechin, researchers speculate that
the flavonoid could one day be given vitamin status.
Other Potential Reasons
But before you buy stock
in Hershey's, there's still research to be done. The tribe members
also eat lots of fish and fruit, and their diet or their lifestyle
-- or both -- may be part of the lack-of-disease equation. So far,
researchers have ruled out genetics.
Bottom Line
What remains true: Flavonoids are good for your heart; lots of
research points to this. But dark chocolate is just about your only
hope for chocolate that hasn't had its flavonoids completely
destroyed by processing. And if you need to cut calories to lose
weight, a little bit of chocolate goes a long way. |
