Chocolate to the Rescue

Since I love chocolate so much, I thought it would be fun to explore the health benefits! Not that I'm trying to justify my actions or anything....

As it turns out, chocolate, in moderation, has some of the same properties as red wine. Chocolate is high in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant which may combat aging and heart disease. According to an article on About.com, dark chocolate is eight times as antioxidant dense as some of our favorite fruits, like strawberries. (For more information on antioxidants, which are frequently classified as phytonutrients, check out the first blog post I ever wrote.)

The Cleveland Clinic says that the main types of flavonoids in chocolate are called flavanols, and these have been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. The About.com article mentioned above also says that the affect on LDL cholesterol may be as high as a ten percent reduction! As you may know, when LDL cholesterol oxidizes, it tends to build up and stick to your arteries. In that case, it can block the way for blood flow and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Some of the substances found in chocolate prevent the LDL cholesterol from oxidizing (hence the term "antioxidant"), which helps stop the build-up. According to a Huffington Post article, "Research performed at the department of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, found that chocolate thins the blood and performs the same anti-clotting activity as Aspirin." As you may be aware, Aspirin is often prescribed in low doses as a blood thinner for individuals at risk for heart disease. Harvard Medical School also reports that chocolate has been linked to lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation.

Not only does chocolate affect blood flow, but it has also been shown to elevate mood! Chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, the same chemicals that make us feel happy when we exercise. Chocolate also contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant, in addition to a variety of stimulants, such as theobromine and caffeine. In fact, the Huffington Post article stipulates that the serotonin in chocolate may be a partial explanation for why women crave chocolate during PMS and menstruation, since their natural serotonin levels are typically down on those days.

Despite these health effects, the research comes with a caution! According to the Cleveland Clinic, not all forms of chocolate provide equal benefit. The flavanols naturally found in cocoa are also largely responsible for the bitter taste of unsweetened chocolate. The more cocoa is processed to make the palatable goodies we enjoy, the more the flavanols are depleted. While nearly all of the websites I found agree that dark chocolate contains the most flavanols, the Cleveland Clinic states that recent research shows the level of flavanols is not universally consistent in dark chocolate, as it depends on how the dark chocolate was processed (fermentation, alkalizing, roasting, etc.) Nevertheless, dark chocolate or non-Dutch processed cocoa are typically much better bets than milk chocolate. (So I guess all those years of loving dark chocolate weren't just a result of strange taste in flavors; I was being healthy!)

Many people may worry about the high fat content in chocolate. Interestingly enough, there are three main types of fat in chocolate, each found in about equal proportions, and they are not all considered harmful. According to both About.com and the Cleveland Clinic, one of the fats is called oleic acid, which is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil. The second is stearic acid, which is a saturated fat, but research has shown this particular fat does not adversely affect cholesterol. The third type is palmitic acid, which is one type of saturated fat known to contribute to higher cholesterol. So the good news is, only about 1/3 of the naturally occurring fat in chocolate is bad for you!

A lot of the problems come in with the ingredients we add to cocoa. Milk chocolate, in particular, typically has added butterfat and significantly more sugar, both of which are linked to a variety of health concerns. And even dark chocolate can be made significantly less healthy by adding caramel, nougat, marshmallow, and other ingredients. These unhealthy additions typically outweigh the benefits of the chocolate itself. Furthermore, consuming a king-sized candy bar is not going to help your heart health. The ideal serving size to maximize the benefit of chocolate is one to three ounces a few times per week. And remember that even healthy chocolate has calories. If you add chocolate to your diet regularly, you may need to exercise more or cut out an equal number of calories from another meal or snack to maintain a consistent body weight.

So the lessons seem to be: enjoy chocolate for the healthy benefits it provides, savor each bite for the delicious flavor, and consume in moderation. Mmmm, chocolate!


Photo credit: http://experiencechocolate.com/

Heart-Pounding Super Bowl

I am not much of a football fan, but even those of us who care nothing about the sport the rest of the year muster up the enthusiasm to care a little on Super Bowl Sunday (or to at least pretend). If nothing else, a Super Bowl party guarantees time with friends and a schmorgishborg of delicious snacks.

For those who have been following the sport all year, undoubtedly the game will be full of heart-pounding action on the field and, as it turns out, in their own homes. Today, while I was thinking about the big game, I recalled reading an article in 2011 saying that heart attacks are more likely around the time of the hoopla. Heart-pounding action indeed!

Per the usual, I did a little Google search, and last year's article was right at my fingertips! (I was glad to confirm I didn't make up something that crazy in my head.)

Apparently, one study suggests that heart attacks may be more prevalent in the weeks following the Super Bowl, namely in the areas where people supported the losing team. The research, which was published in the journal Clinical Cardiology, examined heart-related death rates in Los Angeles following two Super Bowls, one where L.A. won and one where they lost, in comparison to the same weeks other years.

In 1980, when the Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, heart attacks in L.A. were 15% higher for men and 27% higher for women in the two weeks following the game compared to the same weeks in 1981 - 1983. In 1984, on the other hand, when the L.A. Rams beat the Washington Redskins to win the Super Bowl, the L.A. cardiac death rate did not increase in the weeks following.

Due to a variety of design factors in the study, as well as the fact that it only covered one city for two Super Bowls, it does not conclusively prove that the Super Bowl loss caused the upshoot in heart related deaths. Regardless, the findings were pretty drastic in the difference from one year to the next

So why would this happen?

Well, assuming that the connection is true, researchers have a few theories. To begin with, it is important to note that those affected were already at high risk for a heart attack before the game, so the changes experienced as a result of the game would have been one contributing factor among many health issues. My first thought was that people died of boredom, but no one else seems to be espousing that view. One more popular theory suggests that individuals' emotional attachments to the team triggered a major stress response when the team lost in 1980. Others have suggested that it was not the sadness over the loss, but rather the tense game itself, that was the difference between the two Super Bowls. The 1980 game was a much closer nail-biter, with many ups and downs, compared to the 1984 game. The range of emotions associated with the 1980 game could have caused people's hearts to experience greater strain. Another additional factor might have been the copious amounts of beer and fatty snacks typically consumed around the game, although one would assume those were more or less the same from 1980 to 1984.

I have no idea if this cardiac connection will be supported by further research. As a math major, I am inclined to be a skeptic of such simplistic statistical studies until further proof is provided. But hey, this is the one interesting link that immediately came to mind between health and the Super Bowl, so I felt compelled to share. Ultimately, all I can say is, be careful while watching football!

Have fun! Go Giants!

Check out some more detailed articles on the subject here:

• http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/31/super.bowl.heart.attacks/index.html
• http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/dailydose/2011/01/more_heart_atta.html
• http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-02-03/sports/29966308_1_mortality-rates-study-steelers

NY Giants Graphic Credit: http://friendster.layoutlocator.com/graphics/go+giants+graphic.html