Health Benefits of Unprocessed Dark Cocoa aka Chocolate

We always hear of dark chocolates being good for the heart.  True, but do you know that here are about two times more antioxidant in an unprocessed  cocoa seed than the dark chocolate we can buy in packages from stores? Being processed, cocoa looses 90% of polyphenols/flavanoids when roasted.

Photo by Mister GC from freedigitalphotos.net

Polyphenols are chemicals from plants that had been proven to have significant health benefits that could prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetis and high blood pressure according to the American  Cancer Society (Livestrong.com).

Health Benefits of Eating Dark Cocoa Backed by Scientific Studies:

1. Decreases cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL - bad cholesterol by stopping the bad cholesterol from oxidizing the vessel walls that narrows the artery. (New England Journal of Medicine).

Oxidizing: combine chemically with oxygen.(Google)

2. Prevent blood clot formation that leads to heart attack and stroke.(Web MD)

Blood clot: gelatinous or semi-solid formation of  mass of blood. (Google)

3. Increases the flexibility of the blood vessels in order to lower blood pressure and lessens the heart stress. (CBS News)

4. Help the body utilize sugar better reducing the risk of diabetes and underlying complications (vision problem, possible amputation and kidney problem). (JACC)

5. Improves memory and slow down dementia. (Science Daily)

Dementia : chronic or persistent disorder of the brain process caused by brain disease/injury marked by personality changes and impaired reasoning. (Google)

6. Improves the quality of your skin.  (Medical News Today)

7. Decreases inflammation associated with arthritis or any inflammatory disease. (Journal of Nutrition)

8. Lessens Depression. (Health Central)

source: patentedchocolateresearch.org

In the Philippines there is this Tabliya/Tablea (homemade Cocoa).  We like to make sweetened chocolate porridge called "champorado" out of this tabliya/solidified homemade cocoa that kids really love :)  

Here is a recipe I found on the net but you can actually customize the ingredients according to your taste. Champorado Recipe

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