6 Reasons To Eat Dark, Organic Chocolate

Tip! Sustainability. In his book, Gardening Organically, John Fedor defines sustainability as “the ability of a society or an ecosystem to function indefinitely without squandering the resources on which it relies.

Not many of us need a reason to eat chocolate, but here are the six reasons to only eat dark, organic chocolate:

Unless chocolate is organic it contains pesticide residue. Here is what those FDA approved levels of residues do to you:

• Glyphosate — effects on digestive system tissue, genetic damage, effects on reproduction, carcinogenicity

• Hydrogen Cyanide — acute toxicity, thyroid effects, nerve degeneration

• Naled — central nervous system disruption; headaches, nausea and diarrhea

• Pyrethrins — carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity

• Methyl Bromide — prostate cancer, kidney and liver effects, neurological effects

Dark chocolate has been proven to improve blood pressure.

Dark chocolate can improve glucose metabolism/diabetic control.

Dark chocolate contains high levels of naturally occurring plant flavonoids called polyphenols. These flavonoids are antioxidants.

Another type of polyphenol found in chocolate prevents fat-like substances in our bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging arteries, making blood platelets less sticky to each other.

The fat in chocolate is comprised of heart healthy oleic acid, stearic acid (which neither raises nor lowers cholesterol) and palmitic acid, which raise cholesterol. (only 1/3 of the fat raises cholesterol!)

The above benefits are negated when you eat milk chocolate. The proteins in milk bind antioxidants and make them less available to be absorbed. Also, most light colored chocolates contain large amounts of sugar, which can adversely affect the immune system. When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce its naturally pungent taste. Flavonoids (polyphenols) provide this pungent taste. The more chocolate is processed (such as fermentation, alkalizing, roasting), the more flavonoids are lost. Remember, those are antioxidants being processed away!

Research done on an isolated island showed inhabitants rarely had high blood pressure, even though they drank about five cups of cocoa each day and incorporated it into many of their recipes. Their cocoa though was not sprayed with pesticides, was not processed and did not have added milk, sugar or soy lecithin as an emulsifier.That chewy, caramel-marshmallow, nut-covered milk chocolate bar that you feel guilty about has no health benefits and can only add to health problems. If you want to have your chocolate and eat it too, then choose dark, organic chocolate. A square of dark organic chocolate a day just may help keep the doctor away. Now, that’s the best reason of all!

© Page Remick – All Rights reserved http://www.purezing.com

Page Remick is lead reviewer for Pure Zing, the Internet’s only natural and organic products review site. Remick and the PZ team search for unique and artisanal products that are not mass-produced and found on every grocery store or health food store shelf in the country.http://www.purezing.com

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