What is it that makes chocolate so irresistible? A large part of chocolate’s allure, of course, lies in the taste – a deliciously rich concoction that satisfies the most intense craving. But several chemical reactions are also at work. For one thing, chocolate stimulates the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasureable sensation similar to the “runner’s high” a jogger feels after running several miles.
Women, Love Your Dark Chocolate! It’s Medicinal.
One of many women’s favorite comfort foods is chocolate – truffles, hot chocolate, hot fudge sundays, etc. I include myself among the 99% of all women who love this rich dark brown creamy goody. Here’s good news for us all from the NY Times article, “Diet: Chocolate in Moderation May Help Heart”.
Swedish women who ate one to two servings of dark chocolate a week had almost one-third fewer cases of heart failure than those who didn’t eat it, a new study reports, but the results suggest that there was no protective effect for women who ate chocolate every day or almost every day.
The study, published online Aug. 16 by the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, examined heart failure rates in 31,823 Swedish women aged 48 to 83 who had filled out food questionnaires as part of a mammography study and were followed from 1998 through 2006.
Women who ate one to three servings of chocolate a month had 26 percent fewer cases of heart failure, and those who ate one to two servings a week had 32 percent fewer cases. The authors speculated that chocolate might reduce heart failure by lowering blood pressure; other studies suggest the flavonoids in cocoa may benefit blood vessels and reduce inflammation.
That’s good news! On the other side, the research also said that if we ate too much chocolate we would put on weight. (Yes. and your point is)… Nevertheless, I am interested in learning about the best chocolate candy companies especially those operated women entrepreneurs. As the seasons for giving approaches, any suggestions? And what are your favorite recipes? Your favorite purchased selection? My favorite chocolate chip cookies are made by Debbie Paine. She introduced them at the Positively Powerful Women Awards at the Ritz in Phoenix. Yummmmm!
Why is chocolate so loved and beloved?
Chocolate. The product of the cacao tree has been winning fans since Aztec leader Montezuma introduced the beverage (chocolate candy as we know it didn’t appear until the 1800′s) to the Spanish conqueror Cortez, who subsequently took it home to Spain. (While the original drink was rather bitter, the Spanish made a few creative innovations – using sugar instead of chilies, and adding cinnamon and vanilla).
Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter, serotonin, that acts as an anti-depressant. Other substances, such as theobromine and phenylethylamine, have a stimulating effect. However, the truth is that scientists are still not positive how the over three-hundred chemicals contained in chocolate make us feel so good.