Chocolate - A Natural Source of Antioxidants

Supplemental antioxidants are a necessity these days but you can also increase your dietary intake of antioxidants.

Cocoa beans contain substantial amounts of antioxidants, dietary substances that mop up free radicals. Disease-fighting antioxidants are also present in blueberries, kale, spinach, green tea, red wine, and grapes. But chocolate is a particularly potent source.Chocolate and cocoa powder are derived from beans that contain large quantities of natural antioxidants called flavonoids. Researchers have found that natural cocoa contains the highest capacity of the antioxidant procyanidin.

Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate

The higher the cocoa content, the higher the antioxidant capacity. Dark chocolate -- but not milk chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk -- is a potent antioxidant, report Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome, and colleagues. Their report appears in the Aug. 28 issue of Nature. "Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate."

Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure

Dark chocolate -- not white chocolate -- lowers high blood pressure, say Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany. Their report appears in the Aug. 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Eat in Moderation

But don’t let that give you an excuse to go on a chocolate binge! You still need to remember that chocolate is high in calories so you’ll need to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

Brenda Rogers – USANA Naturopath