"I never met a chocolate I didn't like.
" Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Aztec Indians believe that cacao seeds came from Paradise and people who ate the fruits of the cacao tree were bestowed with unusual wisdom and power.
The legend probably has some truth behind it.
Kuna Indians living on Panama's San Blas islands drink more than four cups of home made cocoa per week - are not only happy, but rarely have high blood pressure or heart disease.
English traders called them cocoa beans and had to travel far to buy them.
Chocolate is now readily available all over the world.
Somebody once said, "Nine out of ten people like chocolate.
The tenth person always lies.
" Chocolate claims the distinctive title of being the most craved for food item.
And some people become addicted to it.
This popularity stems from its 'feel good' effects.
Chocolate not only tastes good, but by encouraging endogenous endorphin production, it gives a feeling of pleasure.
It also contains theobromine and caffeine, which are stimulants.
It also has small amounts of serotonin, an antidepressant.
A patient once concluded, "Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don't need an appointment.
" Over the last several years, scientific publications have increasingly promulgated the cardio-protective benefits associated with eating chocolate.
In the December 18, 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal,Dr Oscar H Franco from the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands, objectively reviewed data that eating100 grams of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate each day reduced systolic blood pressure by 5.
1 mm Hg and diastolic pressure by 1.
8 mm Hg.
They determined that this translated into a 21% reduction in risk of heart disease.
In another study published in the Journal of Hypertension in August of 2006, Dr.
Fishernoted that healthy adults who drank a flavonoidrich cocoa every day for four to six days, improved their blood vessel function.
An abstract presented during the November 14, 2006 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association demonstratedthat eating chocolate slowed clotting time.
D.
Grassi and his fellow researchers reported in the medical journal, Hypertension that eating dark chocolate was associated with a decrease in the bad LDL cholesterol levels as well as an improvement in insulin resistance - effects advantageous to the heart.
The healthy effects of cocoa on the cardiovascular system appear to be due to their flavonol content.
These natural antioxidants improve blood vessel function by altering the body's production of nitric oxide, which regulates the blood vessel tone.
Other mechanisms may also play a role.
Arnold Ismach writes in The Darker Side of Chocolate, "All of the evil that people have thrust upon chocolate is really more deserved by milk chocolate, which is essentially contaminated.
The closer you get to a pure chocolate liquor (the chocolate essence ground from roasted cacao beans) the purer it is, the more satisfying it is, the safer it is, and the healthier it is.
"And this is proving to be medically true.
All chocolates are not created equal.
Almost half the beneficial flavonoids are destroyed during the manufacturing of standard chocolate.
Most commercially available snacks are not only low in natural cocoa and flavonols but also high in calories.
While dark chocolate is more expensive and may not taste as sweet as white chocolate, it is healthier.
White chocolate is made with milk, and epicatechins, the heart healthyflavonols in cocoa, appear to bind to the milk proteins, rendering them less effective.
Dairy products may also inhibit the body's absorption of flavonoids from other foods.
A chocoholic once said.
"I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process..
..
It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?" Well, medical data appears to support this.
Especially when it concerns the blood vessels and the heart.
So if you like chocolates, rejoice.
But remember when it comes to eating chocolate, more is not necessarily better, but darker definitely is.