A Cold Weather Chocolate Treat For Your Heart
There are now even more good reasons to enjoy a warm cup of hot chocolate. For the first time, researchers have looked at all major measures of heart health in more than two dozen studies involving more than a thousand people and found that chocolate has many immediate benefits. Next on the research agenda: What happens when you have the sweet treat -- in any form -- every day for years? (Who wouldn't want to volunteer for that science project?)
Meanwhile, don't miss your daily dose. The Harvard researchers learned that eating flavonoid-rich cocoa:
lowers systolic blood pressure (the top number)
lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol
raises HDL (good) cholesterol
decreases insulin resistance
improves blood pressure
helps blood vessels relax, which allows better blood flow
Here's how to get the most bang for your bite of chocolate.
What's good for your heart is also good for your brain and skin, maybe even your teeth. That's right. Research indicates that the theobromine in chocolate may be just as helpful as fluoride in hardening tooth enamel.
To get skin benefits, RealAge expert Amy Wecshler, MD, says it's got to be dark chocolate, and she takes hers hot. In her book The Mind-Beauty Connection, Wechsler says, "Skip cocoa mixes, which don't have the same flavonol levels, and go for the real thing: dark, unadulterated cacao powder that contains 70 percent or more cacao."
Here's her to-die-for recipe (actually, it's her husband's):
Harry's Super Simple, Healthy Hot Cocoa
The secret to this easy recipe? Heat it slowly to release the antioxidants.
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder with 70% or more cacao (such as Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder or Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa)
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently (do not let it boil), stirring frequently until cocoa is just beginning to steam. Pour into a mug and enjoy.
Learn more about chocolate's heart-healthy benefits.
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