{"id":6827,"date":"2016-08-01T22:11:40","date_gmt":"2016-08-02T05:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldrd.com\/?p=6827"},"modified":"2016-08-01T22:11:40","modified_gmt":"2016-08-02T05:11:40","slug":"chocolate-health-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldrd.com\/chocolate-health-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Chocolate a Health Food?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Chocolate is rich, creamy, sweet and complex in flavor! Just like a good bottle of wine depends on grapes and winemaking, chocolate depends on cocoa beans and processing. Chocolate connoisseurs are trending and the media says that chocolate is a health food<\/a>. Is there more to this good story than meets the eye?<\/p>\n The media’s claims about the health benefits of chocolate are based on studies funded by chocolate companies<\/a>. Conclusions are based on extracted antioxidant compounds called flavonoids that occur naturally in cocoa beans, but may not be found in the processed chocolate that you are eating.<\/p>\n Flavonoids <\/a>are a group of bioactive compounds associated with many health benefits. Flavonoids are common in many plant-based foods. Strawberries, blueberries, tea, apples and onions are excellent sources.<\/a><\/p>\n The flavonoid content of cocoa beans depends on the type of cocoa plant, the soil in which the crops grow, and the way the beans are processed. High temperatures used to make chocolate can destroy flavonoids.<\/a><\/p>\n Chocolate<\/a> is made from processing cocoa mass (or chocolate liquor) with sugar, cocoa butter and in the case of milk chocolate, added milk solids. Other ingredients may also be added. In order to obtain a high concentration of flavonoids, the chocolate must be made with a high concentration of cocoa nibs (from the inner kernel of the fermented, dried and roasted cocoa beans), which give chocolate its deep flavor and color.<\/p>\n So what’s the best bet<\/em>?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n