There’s not a woman in the nation who needs convincing that chocolate’s good for you, and some men will eat to that as well.

And indeed, research suggests that dark chocolate in small quantities might be okay, and white chocolate, I’m glad to say – since it’s revolting – isn’t.

Dark chocolate can contain blood pressure-reducing polyphenols, but if you’ve got to eat bars and bars of the stuff to get the effect, your clogged arteries and obesity might get you first.

A small, 18-week study of men and women aged between 55 and 75 randomly allocated them to a 6 gram piece (or 30 calories) a day, of either polyphenol-free white or polyphenol-full dark chocolate.

The participants were threatened with expulsion from this incredible indulgence if they let on to the researchers whether they were on the dark side.

The results from this preliminary study were that those on a piece of dark chocolate a day lowered their blood pressure by two or three points on average, with no changes to their cholesterol or blood sugar.

The effect, if it was real, was probably through relaxing the arteries.

It’s enough of a difference to lower your chances of dying prematurely by 5 per cent, and hey – even if you do die, it’ll be with a brown smile on your face.

For Reference

Title: Journal of the American Medical Association
Author: Taubert D et al. Effects of low habitual cocoa intake in blood pressure and bioactive nitric oxide. A randomized controlled trial.
URL: http://jama.ama-assn.org/
2007;298:49-60

]]> http://pc4u.net.au/blog/?feed=rss2&p=5 http://pc4u.net.au/blog/?p=1 http://pc4u.net.au/blog/?p=1#comments Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:43:38 +0000 http://pc4u.net.au/blog/?p=1 Good Morning ,

The silly season is over and hopefully the man in the red suit has been kind to you.

What did you do on Christmas day well mine started with having my daughter Jess drive to sydney now that was a lot of concentration as shes only on her L’s

Then had to drive back up the coast with my mother and the traffic wow so many people were on the road in a couple of hours.

Had a great lunch late at Toowan Bay and that was different never had a beach christmas.

Then the long drive back to take my mother home back to sydney .

The Boxing Day sales well there was more people out then before chsitmas and some great bargains to be had and plenty of people spending lots of money. So that was good to see for the economy

How was your new year mine i spent it in the country this year in beautifull Tamworth and had a  scenic drive back accross country and spent last friday at newcastle at nobbys beach and have paid the price since remember slip slop slap and do your legs or you will be very sore afterwoods and look like a candy cane.

Its a new year hows your resolutions going mine well i haven’t made any yet however will be sitting down later today and reflecting on what i need to include in them .( check back shortly for an update on my new years resolutions)

It was great to be back at the gym today doing my 1 hour fitness

While the break was happening our website had a few features added for my franchisees to assist with there chocolate franchise working form home and making money in there pjs should they desire

Anyway thats all for today be certain to check back tomorrow for another post

Troy