Healthy Chocolate Science
Here is an excerpt from my
Xocai Chocolate Web Site
on the Science of Chocolate:
IS CHOCOLATE REALLY HEALTHY?
Cacao: Antioxidant Super Food
Many people don't realize that unprocessed Cacao is the highest source of antioxidants in the world, and that Googling "cacao" and "health" will return over a million results. And it's not just NBC, CNN, and CBS that are reporting on the healthy benefits of chocolate, it's medical professionals, scientists, and researches. So eat more chocolate! Not so fast. Most commercial chocolate is anything but unprocessed. Chocolate treats found on store shelves lose their healthy benefits from over processing such as dutching and roasting, and most store brands add unhealthy processed sugar, milk, fats, fillers, waxes and preservatives.
Xoçai™ is Healthy Chocolate
Xoçai™'s Healthy Chocolate is produced with pure unprocessed cacao that is blanched, unfermented, sun-dried, non-roasted, non-alkalized, non-lecithinized, and coldpressed. Because these proprietary processes are closely monitored, Xoçai™. delivers the maximum amount of antioxidants naturally found in unprocessed cacao.
Antioxidants. Just as they sound, antioxidants are chemicals that prevent oxidation of other compounds.
Oxidation. Think about bananas turning brown or metal rusting, both are results of oxidation; a process of adding oxygen to a compound. This process can produce "free radicals" molecules, which is an atom with an unpaired electron.
Science has taught us that oxidation occurs in our bodies naturally and certain behaviors can intensify the process, such as smoking, pollution, poor diet, and unchecked exposure to the sun. But science has also shown that we can defend against oxidation or Free Radical damage with Antioxidants.
Health Benefits of Cacao. In our bodies antioxidants can react with free radicals to make them more stable and less likely to cause damage to our lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Damage to these vital molecules has been linked to many common health issues and chronic diseases. Our bodies can defend against oxidation, but this ability declines with age. Eating antioxidant-rich foods can enhance our natural defenses. A few plant-based foods meet this criteria and are distinguished by their high polyphenol content.
A subclass of polyphenols are flavonoids that are found abundantly in cacao. Research on flavonoids make them well-known for their antioxidant characteristics, their help in supporting the immune system, and their positive effect on the health of the cardiovascular system.
ORAC. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a standard for quantitating a food's ability to offset the harmful effects of free radicals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, dark chocolate tops the list for ORAC on a per serving basis.
Brunswick Labs. The Brunswick Labs Certification Program is a third party and independent laboratory test performed on Xoçai™ products three times a year that certify the ORAC and Flavonoid values displayed on Xoçai™'s product packaging.
"The Brunswick Labs Seal assures consumers that they are getting one of nature's premiere antioxidant-rich foods." - Brunswick Labs
Conclusion:
Cacao is abundantly rich in Flavonoids.
All-natural unprocessed cacao is healthier than commercially processed chocolate.
Xoçai™ Healthy Chocolate is raw unprocessed chocolate that maintains cacao's natural Flavonoids.
REFERENCES:
Engler MB, et al. Flavonoid-rich chocolate improves endothelial function and increases plasma epicatechin concentrations in healthy adults. J Am Coll Nutr 2004 23: 197-204.
Fisher ND, et al . Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans. J Hypertens 2003 21:2281-6.
Grassi D, et al. 2005a. Cocoa reduces blood pressure and insulin resistance and improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in hypertensives. Hypertension 2005 46: 1-8.
Grassi D, et al. 2005b. Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons. Am J Clin Nutr 2005 81:611-4.
Gu L, et al. Procyanidin (PC) content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of chocolate and cocoa products. FASEB J 2005;19:A1032:Abstract#598.20.
Heiss C, et al. Vascular effects of cocoa rich in flavan-3-ols. JAMA 2003 290:1030-1.
Kondo K et al. Inhibition of LDL oxidation by cocoa. Lancet 1996 348:1514.
Osakabe N et al. Catechins and their oligomers linked by C4 - C8 bonds are major cacao polyphenols and protect low-density lipoprotein from oxidation in vitro. Exp Biol Med 2002 227:51-6.
Osakabe N et al. Daily cocoa intake reduces the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein to oxidation as demonstrated in healthy volunteers. Free Radic Res 2001 34:93-9.
Pearson DA et al. The effects of flavanol-rich cocoa and aspirin on ex vivo platelet function. 2002. Thromb Res 106 :191-7.
Rein D et al. Cocoa inhibits platelet activation and function. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 72 :30-5.
Taubert D, et al. Chocolate and blood pressure in elderly individuals with isolated systolic hypertension. JAMA 2003 290:1029-30.
Vita JA. Polyphenols and cardiovascular disease: effects on endothelial and platelet function. Am J Clin Nutr 2005 81:292S-7S.
Wan Y et al. Effects of cocoa powder and dark chocolate on LDL oxidative susceptibility and prostaglandin concentrations in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2001 74 :596-602.
Wang JF et al. A dose-response effect from chocolate consumption on plasma epicatechin and oxidative damage. J Nutr 2000 130 :2115S-9S.
Weisburger JH. Chemopreventive effects of cocoa polyphenols on chronic diseases. Exp Biol Med 2001 226: 891-7.
Wu X, et al. Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States. J Agric Food Chem 2004;52:4026-37.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
© 2009, MXI Corp™. All rights reserved.